Pimp my English | Using “amount” and “number”

By Anna Malczyk
We sometimes want talk about a certain quantity of something without going into specific details on how much it is exactly. To do this, we can use the words “amount” and “number” – but which one is correct when?

Remember “much” and “many”
Before we talk about numbers and amounts, let’s revise the lesson on “much” and “many” briefly. As you may recall, we use the word “much” when we are talking about something that cannot be counted individually, and we use “many” for things that can be counted.
•    It takes too much time to update the website. (You can’t have one time, two times, three times – “time” cannot be counted.)
•    We can never have too many students on our courses. (Students can easily be counted individually.)

“Amount” and “number”
“Amount” and “number” work exactly the same way.

“Amount” is used when the thing being referred to cannot be divided or quantified – in other words, cannot be counted individually.
•    Students deposited a large amount of money over the weekend. (“Money” is an indivisible concept.)
•    The amount of team spirit is really noticeable. (“Spirit”, likewise, cannot be counted individually.)

“Number” is used when the things referred to are divisible and quantifiable – they can be separated and counted individually.
•    The number of courses is growing quickly. (Courses are definitely divisible – one course, two courses, and so on.)
•    We have a small number of late registrations. (Registrations can easily be counted individually.)

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