Use much for things you cannot count (time, money, water). It fits questions and negatives: How much …?, not much …, too much …. For a large amount in a positive sentence, English prefers a lot of (a later card).
much for things you cannot count
How much time do you have? (you cannot count time)
I do not have much money this week. (negative)
She does not eat much meat, and that is too much sugar for one cup.
Not "How many water do you drink?" — say "How much water do you drink?". You cannot count water, so use much, not many.
Try it: We do not have ___ time before the meeting starts. (much / many / a lot) Answer: much — You cannot count time, and this is a negative sentence, so use much. "Many" is for things you count, and "a lot" needs of before a noun here (a lot of time).
many for things you count
Use many for things you can count (plural nouns: hours, people, restaurants). Like much, it fits questions and negatives: How many …?, not many ….
How many hours do you work every day? (you can count hours)
There are not many people at the party yet. (negative)
How many languages do you speak?
Not "How much hours do you work?" — say "How many hours do you work?". You can count hours, so use many, not much.
Try it: How ___ restaurants are there in Downtown Haffenville? (many / much / a lot of) Answer: many — You can count restaurants, and this is a question, so use many. "Much" is for things you cannot count, and "How a lot of restaurants" is not correct English.
a lot of works for both
For a large amount in a positive sentence, use a lot of. It works for both things you count and things you cannot: a lot of friends, a lot of time. With no noun after it, drop the of: Yes, a lot.
There are a lot of restaurants in this area. (you count restaurants)
We have a lot of homework to do tonight. (you cannot count homework)
Do you drink a lot of coffee? Yes, a lot.
Not "I have a lot friends." — say "I have a lot of friends.". Before a noun, keep of: a lot of friends. Drop of only when no noun comes after it.
Try it: We have ___ homework to do this weekend. (a lot of / much / many) Answer: a lot of — In a positive sentence, use a lot of for a large amount: a lot of homework. "Much homework" sounds wrong in a positive sentence, and homework cannot be counted, so "many" does not fit.
Try it: Amina asks: "How ___ sugar and how ___ eggs do we need for the cake?" (much … many / many … much / much … much) Answer: much … many — You cannot count sugar, so use much. You can count eggs, so use many. Cannot count it, use much; can count it, use many.