一、副詞very 主要修飾形容詞或副詞:
He was very angry at losing it. 丟失了它他很生氣。
He has behaved very badly to you. 他待你很不好。
He is not handsome, but is very pleasant looking. 他并不英俊,但招人喜愛。
He believes very strongly in female emancipation. 他強烈主張婦女解放。
【注】修飾副詞 too(太),要用 much:
It is much too expensive. 這太貴了。
90 miles an hour is much too fast. 一個鐘頭開90 英里太快了。
二、副詞much 主要修飾動詞,而且除非其前有very, too, so 等修飾語,它只用于否定句和疑問句:
She doesn’t like him much. 她不太喜歡他。
Does she much like him? / Does she like him much? 她很喜歡他嗎?
She likes him very much. 她很喜歡他。
【注】不帶修飾語的much有時也可能在肯定句中修飾動詞,但這只限于 regret, admire, prefer, appreciate 等少數動詞,且此時的 much 應置于句中,而不是句末:
We much appreciate your invitation. 我們非常感激你的邀請。
三、much 除修飾動詞外,還可修飾比較級和最高級以及介詞短語等:
He is much better today. 他今天好多了。
This is much the most difficult. 這是最最困難的。
Much to my surprise, he was a thief. 使我大為吃驚的是,他是個賊。
【注】very 有時也可修飾最高級 (注意在句中的位置):
This is the very lowest price. 這是最低最低的價格。
四、修飾過去分詞,通常用 much,不用 very。但修飾已經轉化成形容詞的過去分詞,或形容詞性較強的過去分詞 (如過去分詞作定語時),則可用 very:
I was much surprised at the news. 聽到這個消息我非常吃驚。
Her face wore a very surprised expression. 她臉上露出很吃驚的表情。
五、very much 是 much 的強調說法,從理論上說,可用 much 的地方,原則上也可用very much。