Which word should replace the underlined word? “There were too [much] people at the pool on Saturday.”
Use Standard Grammar, Usage, and Spelling to Edit · TELPAS Grades 4–5 writing. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
Reporting category 2: find and fix an error in a short text. On the real test some of these are typed answers or sentence rewrites. Here they are multiple choice so they can be checked.
The question
Choose the best answer.
Read the sentence. The underlined word has an error. There were too [much] people at the pool on Saturday. Which word should replace the underlined word?
- more
- manyCorrect answer
- lot
- very
Why “many” is correct
This tests much and many. "Many" goes with things you can count, like people, books, or dogs. "Much" goes with things you cannot count, like water, time, or noise. Many languages use one word for both, so English learners often say "much people."
Why the other answers are wrong
- more — "Too more" is not correct English.
- lot — "Too lot" is not correct; we say "a lot of people."
- very — "Too very" is not correct, and "very" does not tell how many.
Practice more of this
More writing practice for Grades 4–5, or see the TELPAS practice test for 4th and 5th grade.
This is an independent study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Texas Education Agency or the official TELPAS program. All questions here are original practice material written to match the published test design.