A LOT OF - MUCH - MANY

A lot of - much - many :

• A lot of :
  
  
  • A lot of can be used in all sentences: affirmative, negative and interrogative.

• Much - many : 
  
  
  • Much is used with uncountable nouns (for example: 'much English')
  • Many is used with countable nouns (for example : 'many words').
  • Much and many are used in negative and interrogative sentences.
    They are rarely used in affirmative sentences, except:
    
    
    • If they begin a sentence:
      - Many people believe all they hear.
      - Much of what was said was confusing.
    • If they are preceded by ‘so’, ‘as’ and ‘too’ 
          and in some expressions with ‘very’:
      - There was much noise.
      - There was so much noise that I couldn’t hear very well.
      - We ate many cherries.
      - You can eat as many cherries as you like.
      - They gave us much information.
      - They gave us too much information.
      - I enjoyed the film very much. 
    • In formal or written English.
      In affirmative sentences much and many are more often used in formal or
      written English whereas a lot of/ lots of are more common in conversational English.
      For example, much and many are generally used in newspaper reports and headlines.

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
We learn a lot of English.	I don't know a lot of English.	Do you learn a lot of English?
I make a lot of mistakes.	I don't know much English.	Do you know much English?
BUT :
Much of our food is exported.	I don't know a lot of words.	Do you make a lot of mistakes?
Many people drive too fast.	I don't know many words.	Do you make many mistakes?

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Compare a lot of and a lot :

• Tom knows a lot of vocabulary.
• Charlie is talkative. He talks a lot.