From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englisha lota lot (also lots informal) a large amount or number We’ve spent a lot on the children’s education. ‘How many CDs have you got?’ ‘Lots.’a lot of They paid a lot of money for that house. I eat a lot of vegetables. There were lots of people at the party.an awful lot (also a whole lot informal) (=a very large amount or number) He spends an awful lot of time on the computer.a lot to do/learn/say etc I still have a lot to learn. It’s a great city, with lots to see and do.GRAMMAR: Comparisona lot of• A lot of is fairly informal and is mainly used in spoken English or informal written English.• You can use a lot of with a plural noun and a plural verb: A lot of people were hurt.• You can use a lot of with an uncountable noun and a singular verb: A lot of money was spent on it.lots of• Lots of is more informal than a lot of, but is used in exactly the same way.• You say: Lots of people were hurt.Lots of money was spent on it.many, a large amount of• In written English, you usually use many or a large amount of.• You use many with a plural noun and a plural verb: Many people were hurt.• You use a large amount of with an uncountable noun and a singular verb: A large amount of money was spent on it.• When talking about years, days, weeks etc, you usually use many instead of a lot of: The book took many years to write. ✗Don’t say: The book took a lot of years to write. → lota lota lot (also lots informal) if someone or something is a lot better, faster, easier etc, they are much better, faster etc SYN much My headache is lots better, thanks. She has a lot more contact with clients these days. You’ll get there a lot quicker if you take the motorway. The house is a lot tidier now Chris has left home. → lota lota lotused to say that something happens to a great degree or often Things have changed a lot since I was a child. Paul travels a lot on business. I’ve been worrying a lot about my health. She likes you a lot. → lot
