"much fun" vs. "a lot of fun"

[dsteve54]

A Russian pen pal wrote to me, stating in the course of the narrative:
"I have much fun learning....".

I was trying to explain in Russian why, in this particular context, we say "I have a lot of fun learning" or "I have quite a bit of fun learning", but "I have much fun" is alien. To be honest, I not only could not tell the person why, but I am not even sure if "I have much fun" would "flunk" a syntax test. It probably flunks a usage test.

To compound matters, I then have to explain, why, in a passive construct, we can possibly say, "There was much fun to be had".

Never mind the translation to Russian of an explanation; I can do that. I just would like to understand the underpinings of why one format works and the other doesn't.

It seems to be anchored to the word "fun"...we cannot say "many fun", yet "much fun" can occur. Or maybe the anchor is "much" and what it governs. I am not even sure which is the driving force.......help! (Thanks in advance)

[Perry]

I hope that someone can give you the answer. I so often find that I know what the correct usage is, without a clue as to why. Other languages are so much more systematic in their grammer.

[dsteve54]

I hope that someone can give you the answer. I so often find that I know what the correct usage is, without a clue as to why. Other languages are so much more systematic in their grammer.

So true....
Well, in particular, it is embarrassing to explain English phonetics, which, unless one is steeped in history, is inexplicable. Try getting someone to say this, if they do not know "what is going on":
"eight",
not to mention countless other counterintutive pronunciations.

And how about 15 vowel "sounds", corresponding to our vowels?

Well, there is simply no accounting for it, in logical terms. But that is language, I suppose.

I also see people from other countries, who might say,
"I had a funily/funnily/"or some other -ily" time".
Well, rats, I can't help it; there "just doesn't seem to be a corresponding adverb at the ready".


Well, as you have mentioned, I hope someone can provide an answer because it is sort of mortifying to just shrug, and say, as if squashing some inquistive child's spirit,
"We-e-ll......just, just, because!!!! That's just the way it is! Now quit asking so many questions and eat your dinner!"
: - (((((((((

[skinem]

English is tough.
Some things just are.
Learn them.
Accept them.
Live them.

[dsteve54]

English is tough.
Some things just are.
Learn them.
Accept them.
Live them.

I don't know much about haiku, but if it is not already the right meter, you could probably do a tweak here and there and have one.

[skinem]

Nah, just the Ernest Hemingway school of writing.

Oh, that and being in a hurry...

[dsteve54]

Nah, just the Ernest Hemingway school of writing.

Oh, that and being in a hurry...

That was very cute!