what's the difference between 'Many..' and 'Many a'

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angel1981
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what's the difference between 'Many..' and 'Many a'

Post by angel1981 »

hi guys!

What's the difference between "many a people" and "many people" or something like that? I always read it but haven't got a clue what's the difference between the 2.

Please help me.

thank you very much. :D
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Arale
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Re: what's the difference between 'Many..' and 'Many a'

Post by Arale »

angel1981 wrote:hi guys!

What's the difference between "many a people" and "many people" or something like that? I always read it but haven't got a clue what's the difference between the 2.

Please help me.

thank you very much. :D
"Many a people" is ungrammatical. Where did you see it? :roll:
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angel1981
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Post by angel1981 »

Thanks.

I forgot the title of the book. :?

So,what's the correct use of 'Many a....' or it is really wrong to add 'a' after the 'many' ???

Please enlighten me.

Thank you :D
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Post by Hardi »

I don't know, but prefix a is if we have only one people. Anyway "many a people sounds wrong"... maybe is it possible to say "a many people".. at least it toesn't sound so wrong... but I don't know.
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Arale
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Post by Arale »

No, 'a many people' * is incorrect too. You should say 'many people' or 'a lot of people', and 'a person'.

_Arale_
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angel1981
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Post by angel1981 »

and what about this.

"And this is one hell of an enemy that drags down many a fine man. "

many a fine man??????????????

help!!!!
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Arale
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Post by Arale »

angel1981 wrote:and what about this.

"And this is one hell of an enemy that drags down many a fine man. "

many a fine man??????????????

help!!!!
I don't know if it was written by an author. But I think "...drags down many fine men" is correct.

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angel1981
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Post by angel1981 »

yes it was written by an author.I am so desperate to know the right use of that :(
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Arale
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Post by Arale »

angel1981 wrote:yes it was written by an author.I am so desperate to know the right use of that :(
Why don't you ask Teacher Alan at the Help Desk? :roll:

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GiddyGad
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Post by GiddyGad »

Hi,

"Many a man" means a lot of men.
"Many a people" means a lot of peoples, nations, etc.
I think "many a people" considers every people separately, not as sum total.

Hope this helps,

Smiles,
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FIVER
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Re: what's the difference between 'Many..' and 'Many a'

Post by FIVER »

angel1981 wrote:hi guys!

What's the difference between "many a people" and "many people" or something like that? I always read it but haven't got a clue what's the difference between the 2.

Please help me.

thank you very much. :D
Let's see..
"Many a..." refers to an indefinite number.
"Many..." refers to an amount that can be bound.

Many a people will die.
Meaning a large amount of people will die, and you don't know how much.
Many people will die. Meaning a large amount of people will die but some will be left. "Many" is a quantifier. (Ex. some, all, none, most)

I hope this is helpful.
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GiddyGad
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Post by GiddyGad »

From 'Advanced Grammar in Use' (M. Hewings):

"We can use the phrase many a with a singular
noun to talk about a repeated event or a large number
of people or things:
- The manager must have spent many a sleepless
night worrying about his team...
- Many a pupil at the school will be pleased that
Latin is no longer compulsory."

Smiles,
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Post by Kirbo »

hmm, I think its more of a style of speech, like a dialect kinda....

you don't find "many a people" in most modern articles... its just a way of talking I guess, and I don't think that it has anything to do with the indefinite number, many itself isn't a specific number, and if it is a number that cannot to bound... that would mean an infinite... or none at all x.X; meh...

Many people will die is what you should use to avoid awkwardness ^^
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