# Grammar Q - use of the word much **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 25, 2010, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-q-use-of-the-word-much/533730 "2010-03-25T12:48:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Random\_Design](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58f4c7/32.png) [@Random\_Design](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random_Design)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-q-use-of-the-word-much/533730/1 "2010-03-25T12:48:14Z")
Lately I’ve become confused about the correct usage of much when relating quantity. For example: I put too much of the new oil or I put too much new oil I put too much of salt or I put too much salt Is ‘of’ correct if there is no article following? Are any of the above _in_correct? ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-q-use-of-the-word-much/533730/2 "2010-03-25T12:59:50Z")
None of your sentences sound correct to me. I’d say correct versions would be: I put in too much new oil or I added too much new oil I put in too much salt or I added too much salt ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-q-use-of-the-word-much/533730/3 "2010-03-25T13:12:42Z")
**I put too much of the new oil** Okay. Puts emphasis on the new oil, like “too much of THIS.” **I put too much new oil** Okay. **I put too much of salt** Never used. **I put too much salt** Okay. **Is ‘of’ correct if there is no article following?** Sometimes. Seems to need some kind of specific indicator, though. “Too much of his paint” sounds okay, “too much of green paint” doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-q-use-of-the-word-much/533730/4 "2010-03-25T13:39:03Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > None of your sentences sound correct to me. I’d say correct versions would be: > > I put in too much new oil > or > I added too much new oil > > I put in too much salt > or > I added too much salt I agree that they need “in” to be proper sentences, but perhaps they were just meant to be sentence fragments: “I put too much new oil [in the engine]”. Otherwise, I agree with Gary. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-q-use-of-the-word-much/533730/5 "2010-03-25T13:42:43Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > …perhaps they were just meant to be sentence fragments: “I put too much new oil [in the engine]”. That was my assumption. ---
**Author:** ![Random\_Design](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58f4c7/32.png) [@Random\_Design](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random_Design)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-q-use-of-the-word-much/533730/6 "2010-03-25T13:47:44Z")
Sorry yes, those were sentence fragments not complete sentences. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-q-use-of-the-word-much/533730/7 "2010-03-25T14:13:31Z")
This kind of thing is tricky “Don’t use too much salt.” - you’re referring to salt in general “Don’t use too much of the salt.” - you’re referring to a specific quantity of salt that the hearer understands you to be referencing. “Don’t use too much of salt.” - unidiomatic ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-q-use-of-the-word-much/533730/8 "2010-03-25T14:24:28Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > None of your sentences sound correct to me. It wouldn’t be a proper grammar thread if someone didn’t point out that “none” takes the singular verb, now, would it? 🙂 I agree with **GaryT** and **ascenray** , FWIW. [Proofreads vigorously for evidence of Gaudere’s Law]