Is lots a proper word

• Вопрос

Какая разница между выражениями a lot, a lot of и lots of (много, множество) и когда нужно их использовать?

Manuel, Spain

• Ответ

So, Manuel, a learner of English from Spain, wants to know the difference between a lot of, lots of and quite simply, a lot. The first point to make here is that English can be more or less formal and lots of is just a more conversational form of a lot of. So you could say or write:

Что ж, испанец Мануэль изучает английский язык и хочет узнать различие между a lot of, lots of и, что совсем просто, a lot. Первое, на что здесь стоит обратить внимание, — это то, что английский язык может быть более или менее формальным, и lots of является просто разговорной формой выражения a lot of. Так, вы можете сказать или написать:

There are a lot of people over there.

Там много людей.

Or you could say:

Или вы можете сказать:

There are lots of people over there.

Там много людей.

The last one’s chattier — it’s less formal. And that’s an easy way to remember it, I think.

Последний пример более разговорный – он менее официальный. И таким образом, я думаю, его легко запомнить.

Grammatically speaking, a lot of or lots of is used before a noun,

Если говорить о грамматике, то a lot of или lots of употребляются перед существительным,

There are a lot of people

Здесь много людей

or what we call a ‘noun phrase’ — a group of words that serves as a noun. Now, can you spot the noun phrase in this sentence?

или перед так называемым «составным существительным» — группой слов, которая выполняет роль существительного. Можете ли вы определить составное существительное в этом предложении?

There are a lot of Spanish people living in London.

В Лондоне живёт множество испанцев.

And the noun phrase is, Spanish people living in London: There are a lot of Spanish people living in London.

Составное существительное здесь – Spanish people living in London: В Лондоне живёт множество испанцев.

A lot, or for that matter, lots without of, is used in answers. If the question is, ‘Are there many Spanish people living in London?’ the answer will be:

A lot или просто lots без of, используется в ответах. Если вопрос такой: «Много ли испанцев живет в Лондоне?», ответ будет:

Yes, a lot.

Да, много.

Or if you want to sound chattier, more conversational:

Или, если вы хотите произнести это непринуждённее, более разговорно:

Yes, lots.

Да, много.

Things do, however, get a bit more complicated in the question and the negative. If a noun is countable, in a negative or question, we normally use many instead of a lot.

Однако с вопросами и отрицаниями дело обстоит сложнее. Если существительное исчисляемое, в отрицании или вопросе мы обычно используем many вместо a lot.

Are there many British tourists in Spain?

Много ли в Испании британских туристов?

There aren’t many Spanish tourists in Outer Mongolia.

Во Внешней Монголии немного испанских туристов.

But if a noun is uncountable — that’s a mass noun like food or money or love — we use much.

Но если существительное неисчисляемое – то есть обозначающее некоторую массу, вещество, как еда, или деньги, или любовь – мы используем much.

I haven’t got much money.

У меня немного денег.

Is there much food in the fridge?

Много ли еды в холодильнике?

To finish then, another quick test. Which of these three sentences is grammatically okay?

Чтобы подытожить, ещё один быстрый тест. Какое из этих трёх предложений грамматически верно?

a) I haven’t got much money, but I’ve got much love.
b) I’ve got much money but I haven’t got much love.
c) I haven’t got much money but I’ve got a lot of love.

And the answer is c) I haven’t got much money but I’ve got a lot of love. So if you got that, well done!

И ответ – с) У меня немного денег, но много любви (отрицание, much/утверждение, a lot of). Так что, если вы поняли это, отлично!

Susan Fearn

• Примечание

В разделе «Английские слова и выражения» на нашем сайте вы можете познакомиться с ещё одним словом, обозначающим «много, множество, большое количество» – «shedload» или «shedloads».

What are Quantifiers?

In English, there are count and non-count nouns. Mistakes happen in our sentences when we talk about these nouns. And, most mistakes happen when we quantify them. We use quantifiers when we want to give someone more information about the amount or number of something.

A quantifier is a word or phrase that indicates the number or amount of a noun, and it generally comes before the noun. These quantifiers are MUCH, LITTLE, MANY, FEW, and A LOT.

MUCH & LITTLE

These are used before non-count (or uncountable) nouns. Uncountable nouns mean you cannot add a number to them. Here are examples:

food, evidence, equipment, coffee, advice, accommodation, milk, software, hardware

Combine these words, and many others not listed here, with MUCH. You cannot count flour, honey, or salt. You don’t say two flours or three salts. They don’t take a plural form. So, the proper way to tell is ‘much flour’ or ‘much salt.’

The opposite of MUCH is LITTLE.

Much refers to a large quantity of something not countable. And, little refers to a small amount of something not countable.

Example:

Person A: Do you eat much rice?

Person B: No, I eat only a little rice. (‘a little’ indicates a certain amount)

Person C: No, I eat very little rice. (‘very little’ insists the idea that it’s a tiny amount)

Other Examples:

• I plan to wear sunblock and put on a hat, so I don’t get burned from too much sun!
• We don’t have much time, we’re running late!
• I have too much homework!
• There’s too much sugar in my coffee.

MANY & FEW

These are used before count (countable) nouns.  Countable nouns are things, people, or items to add a number to when you describe them. They have singular and plural forms.

Examples:

Singular – Plural

• dog – dogs
• car – cars
• pen – pens
• country = countries
• lady – ladies
• tree – trees
• train – trains
• book – books

Not all countable nouns end with “s” in their plural forms. They take the irregular plural form.

Examples:

• child – children
• person – people
• woman – women
• man – men

So, we use ‘many’ for words like women, children, books, people, and cars.

The opposite of MANY is FEW.

Many refer to a large quantity of something you can count, while few refers to a small amount of something you can count.

Example:

Person A: Do you like having many dogs?

Person B. No, I like keeping only a few dogs.

Other Examples:

• I have too many shoes. I plan to give most of them away.
• Did you take many pictures?

A LOT OF

If you don’t want to worry about whether a noun is countable or uncountable, you can use the expressions “a lot of” or “lots of”. This works for both groups. ‘A lot of’ can replace ‘much’ or ‘many’. The opposite of ‘a lot of’ is ‘some’.

Example:

Person A: Do you eat a lot of sweets?

Person B: Oh, no, I don’t. In fact, I also avoid drinking too much coffee.

Other Examples:

• I eat a lot of cheese.
• A lot of tourists come here to see the beautiful beaches.
• I’m so lucky. I have a lot of great friends.

 ‘some’ can replace ‘a little’ or ‘a few.’

• I ate some rice with my beef stew.
• I know some people from that part of town.

Important Points to Remember: 

‘A lot of’ is most commonly used in positive statements. We use this term more often when the meaning of what we say is positive, or when we talk about things. It can be used for both countable and uncountable nouns.

• She’s getting a lot of praise for her talent in singing.
• Dan shows his love in a lot of ways.
• I love eating a lot of ice cream.
• My son eats a lot of pasta!

‘Much’ and ‘many’ are most commonly used in negative sentences and for asking questions. They talk about things that you don’t like. We use these words when we try to say something with a negative meaning.

• That’s too much information!
• There’s so much snow in that region.
• Too much rain causes the rice fields to flood.
• Too much sun will burn your skin.
• You have too many questions.
• There are so many people here. Let’s find a quieter spot to sit and talk.

Note that we always use ‘much’ and ‘many’ after words like ‘so’, ‘too’, ‘very’, and ‘as’.

If you want to turn an uncountable into a countable noun, you should use the appropriate unit of measurement.

Example:

• much sugar = many teaspoons of sugar
• much furniture = five pieces of furniture (or many pieces of furniture)
• much bread = four slices of bread (or many slices of bread)

Comparing quantifiers.

Uncountable:

Much & more – When you compare ‘much’ with something, use ‘more’ to show the contrast.

“I don’t eat much chocolate. I eat more vegetables than chocolate.”

Little & less – When you compare ‘little’ with something, use ‘less.’

“I have very little information about that company. I know even less about their president.”

Countable:

Many & more.

“I don’t know many beach resorts around here. I know more resorts where I lived before.”

Few & fewer.

“I have very few friends where I used to live. I have even fewer friends here now.”

Don’t worry about getting this perfect the first time, the second time, or the -nth time. I’ve been using English for a long time, and I still mix these up at times. What’s important to remember here is that ‘much’ and ‘many’ are used to express a negative idea, while ‘a lot of’ is used for positive statements. And if you want to be absolutely safe, you can use ‘a lot of’ to replace ‘much’ and ‘many.’

So, you may wonder why there’s a need to learn quantifiers and their proper use. It’s because quantifiers express the measure and amount of something. And, using them helps you state your ideas more clearly.

• Advanced
• Grammar
• Intermediate
• Quantifiers
• Speaking

Is a lot proper English?

A lot should always be spelled as two words. The meaning of a lot depends on the context. Usually, it means “many” or “to a great extent.” Let’s look at some examples. Shelley reads a lot of books during her morning commute.

What is pretty much means?

pretty much (not comparable) Almost completely; very nearly; mostly; more or less; basically.

Can you use a lot in formal writing?

Although lots and plenty are acceptable in academic writing, their usage is considered to be informal. In formal academic writing, it is more appropriate to use many, much, and more.

How do you say a lot professionally?

What follows is a list of alternatives to “a lot.” Consider using these more descriptive words and phrases in your next project.

• a good deal.
• a great deal.
• a large number.
• ample.
• a whole heap.
• an abundance.
• bunches.
• copious, copious amount.

What can I say instead of many?

other words for many

• abounding.
• bountiful.
• copious.
• countless.
• crowded.
• frequent.
• innumerable.
• legion.

What can I write instead of so much?

other words for so much

• awfully.
• extraordinarily.
• remarkably.
• so.
• strangely.
• terribly.
• uncommonly.
• very.

What is a better way to say so much?

What is another word for so much?

much	greatly
considerably	decidedly
far	appreciably
exceedingly	incredibly
tremendously	extensively

How do you say a lot of information?

They include copious, abundant, lavish, rich, extensive, ample, overflowing, bountiful and profuse. The text, article or blog post is said to be informative. If you want a word that is unambiguously positive, use informative.

Can we say lots of information?

Information is an uncountable noun meaning ‘facts about someone or something’. We do not use information in the plural form and we do not use it with a/an. We use piece or pieces to make information countable: I found a lot of information about Ecuador on the Internet.

What is a word for full?

What is another word for full?

packed	crowded
crammed	brimming
filled	jammed
stuffed	bursting
congested	loaded

What is another word for giving information?

Frequently Asked Questions About inform Some common synonyms of inform are acquaint, apprise, and notify. While all these words mean “to make one aware of something,” inform implies the imparting of knowledge especially of facts or occurrences.

What is it called when someone tells you something?

divulge. verb. formal to give information about something, especially something that should be kept secret.

How do you politely say about your information?

“FYI” is certainly informal, but “for your information” can have a place in formal communication as well. The full phrase, written out, sounds a bit cold and abrupt unless placed in a larger context where a more polite meaning is clear.

What do you call someone who gives you information?

informant Add to list Share. An informant is someone who secretly provides information to police, the FBI, or another law enforcement agency. If you watch a lot of crime shows on TV, you’re probably familiar with informants. Sometimes informant simply means “person who gives information.”

What do you call someone who takes but never gives?

15. I hear the term freeloader a lot. a person who takes advantage of others’ generosity without giving anything in return.

How do you say you know politely?

Yes, ‘as you know’ is presumptuous. But if you are worried about telling the recipient something that you think is already known, you can use alternative expressions like ‘as you will probably be aware’ or ‘you will possibly be aware that …’ or similar.

Is just letting you know rude?

Yes it is correct and no it is not necessarily rude. For example I might say to my boss while processing a sale, “Just so you know, it looks like the inspection contingency on this is only 5 days instead of 10.” He will probably thank me for pointing out this fact because it is important and he might not have seen it.

Is it rude to say just to be clear?

Saying “to be clear” is still perfectly acceptable as long as you actually are trying to verify or get everyone on the same page. In some instances, though, the phrase is used as a filler word in conversations and indirect communication and can be removed altogether.

What can I say instead of just clear?

Synonyms

• i want to make it clear.
• let me be clear.
• make that clear.
• be clear.
• be clear here.
• be clear that.
• be made clear.
• be very clear.

What does I’m clear mean?

When someone is “clear” about something, it means they have made (something) easy to understand because they do not want to be misunderstood. When a person says “Just so I’m clear”, it is like saying “Just to be certain that you do not misunderstand me, I’m going to explain this further (or restate what I said before)”

What is a better word for clear?

SYNONYMS FOR clear 1 fair, cloudless, sunny. 2 translucent, limpid, crystalline, diaphanous. 8 intelligible, comprehensible, lucid, plain, perspicuous. 10 obvious, manifest, apparent, unmistakable. 17 unimpeded, unobstructed.

What does clear stand for in English?

CLEAR

Acronym	Definition
CLEAR	Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation
CLEAR	Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews
CLEAR	Computer-Supported Cooperative Learning
CLEAR	Clearinghouse on Environmental Advocacy and Research

What is another word for clear sky?

cloudless Add to list Share. Cloudless means bright and clear, like the blue, cloudless sky you’re hoping for on the day of the big back-to-school picnic. When you look up and don’t see a single cloud, you can describe the sky as cloudless.

What is the opposite of clear?

foggy, guilty, dim, culpable, obscure, congested, fuzzy, blocked, Hindered, unintelligible, ambiguous, cloudy, clogged, responsible, dull, Obscured, mysterious, unclear, dark, stormy, clouded, vague, indistinct, uncertain, gloomy, rainy, smudged, closed, shadowy.

What is the opposite of clear sky?

“Antonyms for Clear sky” https://www.classicthesaurus.com/clear_sky/antonyms (accessed June 19, 2021)….clear sky > antonyms.

1	»heavy fog
1	»pea-souper