既能修饰可数名词又能修饰不可数名词的词语有:

a lot of, lots of, plenty of (以上三个词语后谓语动词的数依of 后的名词的单复数而定),a great / large quantity of (其后谓语用单数),quantities of (其后谓语用复数)。例如:

There is still lots of snow in the garden.

花园里还有许多雪。

There is plenty of rain here.

这儿的雨水很多。

A great quantity of flowers was placed in the hall.

大厅里放了很多鲜花。

There are large quantities of food in the cupboard.

橱柜里有许多食物。

在所有这些表示“很多”的词语中many, much 是最常用的词,它们既可以用于肯定句,也可以用于疑问句和否定句。例如:

Are there many people in the street?

街上有很多人吗?

There isn’t much time left.

剩下的时间不多了。

其它的词语都用于肯定句,日常会话中常用lots of, a lot of 或plenty of; 正式文体中常用 a great many, a (large) number of, a great deal of, scores of 或 dozens of 等。但若肯定句中有too, so, as, very或how 等词修饰时,则必须使用 many, much。例如:

The number of the people who lost their homes reached as many as 250,000.

无家可归的人数多达250,000人。

There is too much work to do.

要做的工作太多了。