Possible agreement error: 'many/several/few' + uncountable noun

Writers often pair quantifiers like many, several, or few with nouns such as information, advice, or money. Those quantifiers work only with countable nouns, so this pairing creates a frequent agreement error.

This page gives a clear rule, quick tests, ready-to-copy rewrites for work, school, and casual contexts, and simple memory tricks to fix sentences on the spot.

Quick answer

Don't use many, several, or few with uncountable (mass) nouns. Use much, a lot of, a great deal of, some, little, a little, or rephrase to a countable unit (a piece of advice, two data points).

Wrong: There are many information about the product.
Right: There is a lot of information about the product. (Or: Much information about the product exists.)
Fast test: Try "two X." If "two X" sounds wrong, treat the noun as uncountable and pick a mass-noun quantifier.

Core explanation: countable vs uncountable and the basic rule

Countable nouns name discrete items (book, email, idea). Uncountable nouns name substances, concepts, or collections not viewed as separate items (information, advice, water, furniture).

Use many / several / a few with countables; use much / a lot of / some / little / a little / a great deal of with uncountables. Also remember verb agreement: uncountables normally take singular verbs (There is...).

Number test: Try "two X." If it sounds wrong, the noun is probably uncountable.
If you must count units, convert to a countable phrase: a piece of advice, a bottle of water, data points.

Wrong_right: Wrong: There are many information on the site.
Right: There is a lot of information on the site.
Wrong_right: Wrong: I have a few advice.
Right: I have a piece of advice. Or: I have some advice.
Wrong_right: Wrong: She gave several feedbacks.
Right: She gave several pieces of feedback. Or: She gave some feedback.

Grammar mechanics: quantifiers, determiners, and verb agreement

Quantifiers (many, much, a lot of) sit in the determiner slot of a noun phrase. Some are restricted: many → countable only; much → uncountable only; a lot of / some → both.

Because uncountable nouns behave as singular, verbs and pronouns that refer to them usually follow singular agreement (There is much traffic).

many, several, a few → countable nouns (many emails, several options, a few errors)
much, a lot of, some, a little, little → uncountable nouns (much research, a lot of research, some water, a little time)
Flexible quantifiers: a lot of / some / plenty of work with both; pick the register that fits your audience.

Usage: There are many emails. (countable) vs There is much email. (email can be mass; "a lot of email" is more natural)
Usage: Data: "There is much data supporting this" (mass) vs "There are many data points" (countable measurements).

Real usage: register (formal, neutral, casual) and what sounds natural

Formal writing prefers much, a great deal of, or a large amount of. Neutral workplace writing often uses a lot of or substantial. Everyday speech favors a lot of or lots of instead of much.

Match the quantifier to both the noun's countability and your audience.

Formal: much, a great deal of, a large amount of (e.g., "a great deal of evidence")
Neutral/work: a lot of, substantial, limited (e.g., "a lot of data", "limited information")
Casual: a lot of, lots of, some (e.g., "I got a lot of homework")

Usage: Formal (report): There is a great deal of evidence in favor of the proposal.
Usage: Work email (neutral): We have received a lot of feedback from clients.
Usage: Casual: I don't have a lot of time tonight.

Examples you can copy: work, school, and casual rewrites

Common mistakes paired with ready rewrites. Choose the tone that fits your context.

Work:
Wrong: There are many data supporting our conclusion.
Right: There is a large amount of data supporting our conclusion. Or: A lot of data support our conclusion.
Work:
Wrong: We've received many feedback from clients.
Right: We've received a lot of feedback from clients. (
Formal: We have received substantial feedback.)
Work:
Wrong: There are few information about the new policy.
Right: There is little information about the new policy. Or: There is limited information about the new policy.
School:
Wrong: Many research shows conflicting results.
Right: Much research shows conflicting results. Or: A great deal of research shows conflicting results.
School:
Wrong: I found several evidence of bias.
Right: I found several pieces of evidence of bias. Or: I found much evidence of bias.
School:
Wrong: There are few homework to grade.
Right: There is little homework to grade. Or: I have a small amount of homework to grade.
Casual:
Wrong: I have many homework tonight.
Right: I have a lot of homework tonight. Or: I've got a lot to do tonight.
Casual:
Wrong: She has few experience with dogs.
Right: She has little experience with dogs. Or: She doesn't have much experience with dogs.
Casual:
Wrong: There are many money left in my wallet.
Right: There is little money left in my wallet. Or: I don't have much money left.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence rather than the phrase alone-context often clarifies the correct quantifier. Paste a suspect sentence into a checker or run the quick tests below.

Rewrite help: fix your sentence in three quick steps (with examples)

Use these three steps whenever a quantifier + noun feels off.

1) Number test: Try "two X." If it feels wrong, the noun is uncountable.
2) Choose register: formal → much/a great deal of; neutral → a lot of/some; casual → a lot of/lots of.
3) Fix verb and structure: use a singular verb for uncountables (There is...), or convert to a countable unit (a piece of advice).

Rewrite:
Original: "There are many information online." Step 1: "two informations" is wrong → uncountable. Step 2: neutral → "a lot of." Step 3: singular verb → "There is a lot of information online."
Rewrite:
Original: "I need a few advice." Step 1: "two advices" is wrong → uncountable. Step 2: neutral → "some" or countable → "a piece of advice." Step 3: "I need some advice." or "I need a piece of advice."
Rewrite:
Original: "We have several homework tasks." Step 1: "homework" with "several" is wrong. Step 2: choose countable unit → "homework assignments" or use mass quantifier → "a lot of homework." Step 3: "We have several homework assignments." or "We have a lot of homework."
Rewrite:
Original: "There are few money in my account." Fix: "few" + money wrong → "There is little money in my account." (Or: "I have little money in my account.")

Memory tricks and quick checks

Fast edits often benefit from a small toolbox of checks.

Number-test: "two X" - if it fails, use uncountable quantifiers.
Piece-of trick: Convert to "a piece of X" or "three pieces of X" to see if a countable unit exists (a piece of information, a piece of advice).
Register shortcut: Formal → "a great deal of" or "a large amount of"; emails → "a lot of."

Usage: If "two information" is wrong, use "some information" or "a piece of information."

Similar mistakes to watch for

Fixing quantifiers often exposes related errors: less vs fewer, amount vs number, and illegal plurals of mass nouns.

Less vs fewer: Use fewer with countable items (fewer files), less with uncountable amounts (less traffic).
Amount vs number: Use amount with uncountables (amount of information), number with countables (number of errors).
Avoid pluralizing mass nouns: informations, advices, moneys are usually wrong-use information, advice, money or a countable phrase.

Wrong_right: Wrong: There are less cars on the road.
Right: There are fewer cars on the road.
Wrong_right: Wrong: The amounts of suggestion were helpful.
Right: The number of suggestions was small. Or: The amount of suggested changes was small.
Wrong_right: Wrong: She gave many advices.
Right: She gave a lot of advice. Or: She gave several pieces of advice.

Hyphenation, spacing and punctuation notes

Quantifier phrases like "a lot of" and "a great deal of" are not hyphenated. Hyphens belong in compound modifiers when needed for clarity, not between quantifier words.

After rewriting, check spacing around punctuation and confirm verb agreement wasn't broken by the edit.

Do not hyphenate quantifier phrases: "a lot of", "a great deal of".
Use hyphens only in compound modifiers before nouns when needed: "a well-known fact."
Keep single spacing after periods and no space before commas or periods.

Usage: Correct: "There is a lot of data." Incorrect hyphenation: "There is a-lot-of data."
Usage: Punctuation check: Fix "There are many information, available online." to "There is much information available online." (Remove stray comma, correct verb.)

FAQ

Is "information" always uncountable?

Yes, information is usually uncountable. To count items, use expressions like "a piece of information" or "information items," e.g., "three pieces of information."

Can I ever say "many water" or "few money"?

No. Use much/little or phrases such as "a lot of," "a small amount of," or convert to a countable unit (a bottle of water, a sum of money).

When is "data" singular or plural?

Historically data is the plural of datum, but modern usage often treats data as a mass noun: "There is a lot of data." If you mean discrete measurements, use "data points" or treat data as plural in scientific contexts: "Data are shown."

How do I choose between "few" and "a few" or "little" and "a little"?

"A few" and "a little" suggest a small but sufficient amount; "few" and "little" emphasize scarcity. Compare: "I have a few friends" (some) vs "I have few friends" (almost none). The same distinction applies to uncountables.

Will a grammar checker catch these errors?

Many grammar checkers flag quantifier/countability mismatches but can miss context or specialized uses. Combine a checker with the number-test and the piece-of trick for reliable fixes.

Want to check a sentence now?

When editing, paste the suspect sentence into a checker and apply the three-step rewrite to confirm. Keep a short list of problem nouns (information, advice, homework, data, money) and their correct quantifiers for quick reference.