http://www.englishforums.com/English/EslGeneralEnglishGrammar-Questions/Forum12.htmAsk your questions on grammar and get your sentence checked. We answer lots of different types of general English grammar questions here.enXMOD (Build: 3598.39794)http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/2/bpvll/Post.htm#962821Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:19:02 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:962821Anonymous0http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/2/bpvll/Post.htm#962821http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-962821.xmlDear Mara, You're right, "very many" is a correct string, but very few people know that ;) Actually, those two are grammatically equal constructions, so whatever grammar rules you'd apply to "very few" - the same are ok for "very many". as a part of speech, I think very is an adj., and many is quantifier, but i'm not 100% on that. Re. "I know very many of them" - yes, it's because of the pronoun "them". Without the "many" we would still have "of" - Many of us have been there. Re. "a": if you insist on using the article "a", you could (in theory) say: "(Very) many a person has ever been there" - but I...http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/2/bpvll/Post.htm#162573Sun, 08 Mar 2009 07:56:28 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:162573My2sense1http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/2/bpvll/Post.htm#162573http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-162573.xmlMore natural is 'I met a lot of people at the party'. 'Very many' does not work here. 'Many' is mainly used in the negative. I think Clive is simply saying that it may be more typical (mainly as he writes) to use very many in the negative. He didn't mean that it cannot be used at all e.g. there are very many people that...http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/2/bpvll/Post.htm#162571Sun, 08 Mar 2009 07:56:28 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:162571goldmund2http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/2/bpvll/Post.htm#162571http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-162571.xmlDear friends, I have heard British people say «very many». We may distinguish thus. Let us say that I have heard one thousand people say it. I may then say «I have heard very many people say "very many"». Let us now say that nine hundred were British. I may then say «Very many of them were British.» It is a nice question. Kind regards, Goldmundhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/bpvll/post.htm#162564Wed, 08 Apr 2009 06:56:28 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:162564TeacherBrian3http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/bpvll/post.htm#162564http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-162564.xmlI have posted a reply on the usage of "very many". On the matter of "of"....... Compare these sentences, There are many people living in Africa, and there are very many people living in China. Think about it! Can you see the difference? This is perfectly good English. Now try this.... Very many of the people living in China don't have ....(whatever! ) Can you see the meaning here? 'Many of' means a large number, but not all of them. ' of ' in these sentences means a portion of the whole. I hope this helps you.http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/bpvll/post.htm#162349Sun, 08 Feb 2009 07:56:28 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:162349Anonymous4http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/bpvll/post.htm#162349http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-162349.xmlRiglos wrote: Hi people! First of all, let me give you some examples: Context: After a party, a woman is chatting with a friend about the party she went to the previous day: "I have met very many people at the party." Then, she goes on to tell her friend who is / was it that she met. Her friend knows some of the people she mentions, so he utters: "Oh, I know very many of them." At first, I wondered whether this expression, i.e., "very many" was correct. Now I know it is perfectly grammatical and acceptable, and I imagine it acts as an intensifier of the word "many". Is this so? If not, what is its function? Now, which part of speech is "very" in this case? An adverb? And many? An adjective / a...http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/bpvll/post.htm#158965Wed, 08 Apr 2009 06:56:28 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:158965paco20045http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/bpvll/post.htm#158965http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-158965.xmlI've pondered about this issue since yesterday. It may be true "very many" is often used in negative contexts. But it is used also in non-negative contexts. OED gives no explanation to it but it contains 169 quotes using this phrase. (EX) I met very many priests who quite accepts the Protestant Alliance version of Jesuitism. (McCabe, J., "Twelve Years in Monastery", 1897). The dictionary contains also 14 quotes using "very many of". (EX) Very many of the native mono-syllables are determinatives. (Marsh, "The English Language", 1862). Though the quotes in OED are rather old, Goolge-wise speaking, "very many" is used a lot in pages of New-York Times and CNN. pacohttp://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/bpvll/post.htm#158751Fri, 08 May 2009 06:56:28 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:158751Clive6http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/bpvll/post.htm#158751http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-158751.xmlHi, I avoided saying it was wrong. I used the word 'mainly': "I have met vary many people at the party." More natural is 'I met a lot of people at the party'. 'Very many' does not work here. 'Many' is mainly used in the negative. Now, let's consider this. I mean the law-copyists or scriveners. I have known very many of them, professionally and privately, and if I pleased, could relate divers histories, at which good-natured souls might smile, and sentimental souls might weep. How come? Is this a literary license or are there any other explanations to it? He's Herman Melville, I'm not. Yeah, I'd say it's literary licence. He has a better sense of style than me. The whole passage is stylish and rather far from modern and...http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/bpvll/post.htm#158740Sun, 08 Mar 2009 07:56:28 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:158740Riglos7http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/bpvll/post.htm#158740http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-158740.xmlThanks for your answers! Now, I'm a bit puzzled for I've found in one of Melville's short stories the following sentence: I mean the law-copyists or scriveners. I have known very many of them, professionally and privately, and if I pleased, could relate divers histories, at which good-natured souls might smile, and sentimental souls might weep. How come? Is this a literary license or are there any other explanations to it? Thanks a lot! Mara.http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/bpvll/post.htm#158733Sun, 08 Mar 2009 07:56:28 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:158733khoff8http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/bpvll/post.htm#158733http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-158733.xml"I have met vary many people at the party." More natural is 'I met a lot of people at the party'. Clive corrected your verb tense but didn't comment on it. If you are still at the party when you make the comment, you can say "I have met a lot of people at the party." But if you are speaking after the party is over, it would be better to say "I met ..."http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/bpvll/post.htm#158729Thu, 08 Jan 2009 07:56:28 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:158729Clive9http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/bpvll/post.htm#158729http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-158729.xmlHi, Context: After a party, a woman is chatting with a friend about the party she went to the previous day: "I have met vary many people at the party." More natural is 'I met a lot of people at the party'. 'Very many' does not work here. 'Many' is mainly used in the negative. 'I didn't meet very many people at the party'. Also in questions. "Did you meet very many people at the party?" Then, she goes on to tell her friend who is / was it that she met. Her friend knows some of the people she mentions, so he utters: "Oh, I know very many of them." Same comment as above At first, I wondered whether this expression, i.e., "very many" was correct. Now I know it is perfectly grammatical and acceptable, No, same comment as...http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/bpvll/post.htm#158711Fri, 08 May 2009 06:56:28 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:158711Riglos10http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/bpvll/post.htm#158711http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-158711.xmlWould anyone be so kind to tell me at least if my assumptions are correct? Thanks a lot! Mara.http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/bpvll/post.htmThu, 08 Jan 2009 07:56:28 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:158570Riglos11http://www.englishforums.com/English/VeryMany/bpvll/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-158570.xmlHi people! First of all, let me give you some examples: Context: After a party, a woman is chatting with a friend about the party she went to the previous day: "I have met vary many people at the party." Then, she goes on to tell her friend who is / was it that she met. Her friend knows some of the people she mentions, so he utters: "Oh, I know very many of them." At first, I wondered whether this expression, i.e., "very many" was correct. Now I know it is perfectly grammatical and acceptable, and I imagine it acts as an intensifier of the word "many". Is this so? If not, what is its function? Now, which part of speech is "very" in this case? An adverb? And many? An adjective / a determiner-quantifier? Another...