三者均可表示“很”、“非常”，区别如下：

1. very 主要修饰形容词或副词。有时修饰作形容词的过去分词；如：

The dictionary is very useful. 这本词典很有用。

He drove very fast. 他的车开得很快。

I was very pleased to get your letter.

收到你的信我非常高兴。

注：修饰副词 too，要用 much。如：

It is much too expensive. 这太贵了。

He is getting much too Americanized.

他变得过于美国化了。

The skin is much too delicate

皮肤太娇嫩了。

This dish is much too salty.

这个菜咸得齁人。

I‘m afraid he‘s much too busy to see visitors.

恐怕他太忙，不能会客。

According to the British show jumping team manager, ‘It‘s a pig of a course —much too big and also very technical.‘

据英国场地障碍赛马队教练说，“整个赛场太大，对技术的要求也高，比赛起来很困难。”

注意：too much 名词，意思是：太多

You put too much salt in this dish.

这菜里你盐搁得太多了。

You have added too much liquid to the mixture.

你给这混合物加进了过多的液体。

Too much time is spent on administration.

在管理上花费了太多时间。

He had too much money for a young man.

对于一个年轻人来说，他太有钱了。

We‘ve had too much rain this summer.

今年夏天雨水太多了。

She spent too much time making herself up

她在化妆上花去了太多时间。

too much也可以放在动词后，修饰动词，表“太多地做什么事情”如：

He smokes too much.

他吸烟过多。

We cannot praise him too much.

我们无论怎样称赞他都不为过分。

Maybe I eat too much and that‘s what makes me dozy.

也许我吃得太多了，所以昏昏欲睡。

They bumped him off because he knew too much about their illegal activities.

他们把他谋杀了，因为他对他们的非法活动知道得太多了。

Let us not cavil too much

我们就别太挑剔了。

He‘d given too much to his career, worked long hours, neglected her

他为事业付出太多，长时间地工作，忽视了她。

He must be hoping, but considering the situation in June he may hoping for toomuch too soon

他一定心存希望，但是考虑到6月份的情形，他可能期望得过多过快了。

含极端意义的形容词和副词不用very，而常用absolutely、completely等副词：

She was absolutely furious.

她愤怒极了。

I’m completely exhausted.

我完全筋疲力尽了。

You played really brilliantly.

你的表现真是棒极了。

动词不用very，而用very much：

We enjoyed staying with you very much.

我们非常喜欢待在你这里。

2. much 主要修饰动词。如：

She doesn’t like him much. 她不太喜欢他。

Does she much like him? / Does she like him much? 她很喜欢他吗？

注意：much 修饰动词时，通常只用于否定句或疑问句 (见上例)，而不能用于肯定陈述句，除非其前有 very, too, so 等之类的修饰语。如：

误：He likes the film much.

正：He likes the film very much. 他很喜欢这部电影。

单个的 much (即没有修饰语)有时也可能在肯定句修饰动词，但这只限于 regret, admire, prefer, appreciate 等少数动词，且此时的 much 应置于句中，而不是句末。如：

We much appreciate your invitation. 我们非常感激你的邀请。

Much to her surprise he came back the next day.

让她非常吃惊的是他第二天就回来了。

注：含被动意义的过去分词不与very连用，而通常用much、very much或greatly（正式用语）：

Your help was very much appreciated.

非常感谢您的帮助。

He was much loved by everyone.

他深受大家的爱戴。

She was greatly admired.

她很受赞赏。

3. much 除修饰动词外，还可修饰比较级和最高级以及介词短语等。如：

He is much better today. 他今天好多了。

This is much the most difficult. 这是最最困难的。

Nikolai‘s English was much the worst .

尼柯莱的英语糟糕透了。

容词比较级则用much、very much、a lot等：

Your work is very much better.

你的工作要好得多。

much younger children

小得多的孩子

Much to my surprise, he was a thief. 使我大为吃惊的是，他是个贼。

注：very 有时也可修饰最高级 (注意在句中的位置)。如：

This is the very lowest price. 这是最低最低的价格。

my very best work

我最好的工作

the very youngest children

这些最小的孩子

4. 修饰过去分词，通常用 much，不用 very。但修饰已经转化成形容词的过去分词，或形容词性质较强的过去分词 (如过去分词作定语时)，则可用 very。如：

He was much loved by all who knew him.

认识他的人都很喜欢他。

I was much surprised at the news. 听到这个消息我非常吃惊。

Her face wore a very surprised expression. 她脸上露出很吃惊的表情。

5. very much 是 much 的强调说法，从理论上说，可用 much 的地方，原则上也可 very much。

Yorkshire is still very much a farming community with good meat, good dairyproduce and eggs

约克郡在很大程度上仍以农业为主，出产优质肉类、奶制品和蛋类。

I’m very much afraid that your son may be involved in the crime.

我非常担忧（very much afraid）你儿子可能在这罪案中受到牵连。

I very much hope that this case will prove to be a catalyst for change

我非常希望这起事件能催生变革。

I must say that I am very much to blame.

我必须说都怪我不好。

I would be very much pleased if you would accept the trifling present from me.

如果你收下我的这份薄礼，我将非常高兴。

I miss you very much.

我老思念着你。

《汉英大词典》