A Lot, Lots Of, A Lot Of

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By
Kenneth Beare
Kenneth Beare
English as a Second Language (ESL) Expert
  • TESOL Diploma, Trinity College London
  • M.A., Music Performance, Cologne University of Music
  • B.A., Vocal Performance, Eastman School of Music
Kenneth Beare is an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and course developer with over three decades of teaching experience.
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Updated on July 31, 2019

The quantifiers 'a lot', 'lots of', and 'a lot of' are often used interchangeably in English. Study the rules for usage with this guide to these commonly used expressions.

A Lot, Lots Of, A Lot Of

These three expressions are used in informal English. They can mean either a great quantity of or a large number of and can be rather confusing at times. Here are the general rules for their use.

Hands holding a bunch of strawberries.
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Express Quantity in English for Beginning Speakers
By Kenneth Beare

A Lot Of / Lots Of

These two expressions both mean a great deal of or several. They are used before a count or non-count noun. These two expressions tend to be used in informal English.

Examples:

We need a lot of people for this game.
She likes lots of jam on her toast.

A Lot

Use a lot at the end of a sentence as an adverb. A lot is NOT followed by a noun. The meaning is the same as a great deal.

Examples:

I enjoy swimming a lot.
Mary seems to travel a lot.

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Beare, Kenneth. "A Lot, Lots Of, A Lot Of." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/a-lot-lots-of-a-lot-of-1210746. Beare, Kenneth. (2020, August 27). A Lot, Lots Of, A Lot Of. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/a-lot-lots-of-a-lot-of-1210746 Beare, Kenneth. "A Lot, Lots Of, A Lot Of." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/a-lot-lots-of-a-lot-of-1210746 (accessed April 30, 2024).