請問這句英文為何開頭使用how much

為何這理的開頭要使用how much
how much不是問多少(數量)嗎?

how much 也可詢問份量
要依照上下文來判斷

how much of role parents have in influencing the toys that their children are
interested in.
這是抽拿出來的片語，不是整句

這個詢問片語，也可能是間接敘述 -- 這裏先還原成句，會是這樣：

How much of role do parents have in influencing the toys that their children are interested in? 影響小孩喜歡些什麼玩具，父母扮演多重要的角色？

再看題目句子：(I want to know) how much of role parents have in influencing the toys that their children are interested in.
(我想知道)孩子對甚麼玩具感興趣，父母所扮演的角色有多大。

A corrent way to write that in English is the following:

How the parents playing the role as parents influence much on what kind of toys
their kids are interested in.

role 可以是可數名詞也可以是不可數名詞,

當可數名詞時意思是戲劇或電影中的一個角色
當不可數名詞時意思是作用, 任務

how much of role parents have in influencing the toys that their children are
interested in.
這裡的role 是不可數名詞, 意思是作用 or 任務, 此句該翻譯為:
孩子對玩甚麼玩具感興趣，父母的作用(or 任務)影響很大.
role 是不可數名詞所以用 how much

你可以想想，你有多愛我這句例句，how much 也可以形容抽象概念的程度

2012-12-14 23:56:54 補充：
how much do i love you?