MUCH/MANY WITH A NOUN

We use MUCH for uncountable nouns (singular) and MANY for countable nouns (plurals).
 
Both can be used in interrogative and negative sentences. MUCH is never used in positive sentences (but we can use "very/too much"). MANY can be used in affirmative sentences, but not often.

A LOT OF X, or more colloquially: LOTS OF X, can be used in any situation (countables, uncountables, interrogative, negative, affirmative).

I know many stories
There aren’t many children here
Have you got many brothers?

I drank too much coffee today
I don’t drink much water in the meals
Have you got much experience with this?

You must eat a lot of fruit
I don’t have a lot of friends here
Do you have a lot money?

 
COUNTABLES
+ I've got many friends / I've got a lot of friends
- I haven't got many friends / I haven't got a lot of friends
? Have you got many friends? / have you got a lot of friends?

UNCOUNTABLES
+ I've drunk very much coffee / I've drunk a lot of coffee
- I haven't drunk (very) much tea / I haven't drunk a lot of tea
? have you drunk (very) much coffee? / have you drunk a lot of wine?

COLLOQUIAL
I've got lots of friends
I don't need lots of things
have you drunk lots of coffee?

 The question is HOW MUCH? (uncountables) or HOW MANY? (countables)

- How much coffee have you drunk? - A lot, maybe too much.
- How many people live in your house? - Not many, four.

MUCH/MANY WITHOUT A NOUN

We can drop the noun after much or many if the meaning is clear:

We don't eat much (= much food)
Do you have books? - Not many (many books)

Have you got many friends?
- Yes, I've got many (= many friends)
also: I've got a lot / I've got lots

Do you drink much tea?
- Yes, very much / a lot / lots

The rules for the use of MUCH and MANY are the same as always:

MANY for plurals, MUCH for uncountables, both used in negatives and questions.
Many is used in affirmatives (but not often) and MUCH can't (but we can use "very much").  
A LOT and LOTS can be used in all situations.

MUCH AS ADVERB

We can use MUCH as an adverb
- I like tea but I don't drink much (= much tea)
- I love you very much (very much explains how I love you, so it is an adverb)

Examples of much as an adverb (to explain the action):
- I don't work much now, I'm trying to relax  (how I work)
- I'm much taller than you  (how I am)
- I like her very much  (how I like her)
- Thank you very much  (how I thank you)

As usual, we can also say A LOT:
- I don't work a lot
- I'm a lot taller than you
- I like her a lot
- Thanks a lot

much= mucho, many= muchos, a lot of= un montón de, a lot= un montón, lots= montones, very much= mucho (en afirmativas), too much= demasiado, too many= demasiados, how much?= ¿cuánto?, how many= ¿cuántos?

Much / Many / A lot (of)  se usan exactamente igual que en español Mucho / Muchos / Un montón (de). La única diferencia es que en oraciones afirmativas no se puede usar MUCH, aunque sí podemos usar VERY MUCH o TOO MUCH. Todo lo demás que se ha explicado en esta lección funciona igual en inglés y en español.