very and very much

Adjectives and adverbs: very kind, very quickly

We use very, not very much, before adjectives and adverbs.

• You’re very kind. (not You’re very much kind.)
• The situation is very serious. (not … very much serious.)
• I came very quickly. (not … very much quickly.)

However, (very) much is used before comparatives.

• I’m (very) much happier in my new job. (not … very happier …)

note

For very with superlatives (very first, very best, etc), (see here).

For the very same, (see here).

not very

Not very expresses quite a low degree.

• It’s not very warm – you’d better take a coat.
• That meal wasn’t very expensive. (= quite cheap.)

Note that little cannot be used in this way.

• He’s not very imaginative. (not He’s little imaginative.)

Past participles: very much loved, very worried

Before past participles we normally use very much.

• She was very much loved by her grandchildren. (not She was very loved.)
• Journey times will be very much reduced by the new road. (not … very reduced …)

But we use very with some past participles that are used as adjectives. For details, (see here).

• I’m very worried about Angela. (not … very much worried …)
• We were very surprised when Dan passed his exam. (More common than … very much surprised …)

very much (adverbial)

Very much can be an adverbial.

• We very much enjoyed the party. (not We very enjoyed …)

We do not normally put very much between a verb and its object.

• I very much like mountains. (not I like very much mountains.)

Very much can also be a determiner before a noun.

• She didn’t have very much money.
• Have you got very much work to do?

Very much is not often used as a determiner in affirmative clauses (see here).

• There was a lot of snow on the road. (not There was very much snow …)

note

For very … indeed, (see here).