Is it grammatically correct to say “There is a lot”? But what about “There are a lot”? The following article will explain what both phrases mean, whether they’re both grammatically correct or not, and showcase some example sentences to help you fully understand them.
Is It “There Is A Lot” Or “There Are A Lot”?
Both “There is a lot” and “There are a lot” are grammatically correct and can be used. “There is a lot” is used for uncountable nouns, while “There are a lot” is used for countable nouns instead. Which one you use depends on whether the noun is countable or not.
“There is/There are” are both phrases that state the existence of something, and “There is a lot” and “There are a lot” state that there is a lot of either an uncountable or a countable noun.
When Should I Use “There Is A Lot”?
“There is a lot” should only be used when the noun that it’s describing is uncountable, meaning that it can’t be pluralized in a straightforward way.
“There is a lot” is the traditional way to say that a particular thing is easy to find or abundant in some way.
Here are some example sentences that showcase the proper use of “There is a lot” with uncountable nouns:
- There is a lot of orange juice in the fridge.
- In spite of the current political situation, there is a lot of hope that things will get better.
- There is a lot of money stored in the safe behind the closet.
- There is a lot of tension in the current student body because of the election.
- There is a lot of unprocessed milk at the farm’s storage house.
- There is a lot of interest in the debut of my short film.
- There is a lot of good music in the modern rock scene.
When Should I Use “There Are A Lot”?
“There are a lot” is a phrase that is used when the noun that it describes is countable, which means that it’s got a traditional plural form, and therefore “are” must be used to describe its plural form.
“There are a lot” should only be used when describing a countable noun, and anything else is a mistake.
The following example sentences show the proper way to use “There are a lot” with countable nouns:
- There are a lot of sentences that have grammatical mistakes in them on the internet.
- There are a lot of movies with new actors that come out every year.
- There are a lot of classic American books that you should read before you leave.
- There are a lot of kitchen appliance manufacturers in the market.
- There are a lot of excellent jazz albums from the middle of the 20th century.
- There are a lot of restaurants in any given city in the world.
- There are a lot of advances in technology that get made every day.
Is “A Lot” Singular Or Plural?
“A lot” simply refers to a group of things. “A lot” changes its number depending on the number of the noun. If the noun is plural, then “A lot” will be plural as well. If the noun is unstated or singular, “A lot” is singular.
Therefore, “A lot” isn’t inherently singular or plural. It will change forms depending on what the assigned noun looks like. In the phrase “A lot of movies”, “movies” is a standard plural noun, so “A lot” would be treated as plural.
However, in the phrase “A lot of music”, “music” is an uncountable noun, and therefore you’d treat this particular “A lot” as singular.
Is It Proper To Use “There’s A Lot” And “There’re A Lot”?
According to the Google Ngram Viewer, “There’s a lot” and “There’re a lot” are both immensely less popular than simply using “There is a lot” and “There are a lot”. In a formal context, it’s not proper to use “There’s a lot” and “There’re a lot”.
For the sake of clarity, you’re better off using “There is a lot” and “There are a lot” in any context that is not casual and informal speech.
The Google Ngram Viewer also reveals some more information, most notably that “There are a lot” is actually used slightly more than “There is a lot”.
While the other three phrases had existed for decades, “There’re a lot” only started getting used at the end of the 19th century.
You may also like: Is “There’re” Grammatically Correct? Easy Explanation!
Is It “There Is A Lot Of People” Or “There Are A Lot Of People”?
The correct phrase is “There are a lot of people”. While some people use “There is a lot of people”, this is simply a common mistake. “There is a lot of people” can sometimes be found in casual English, but generally speaking you should use “There are a lot of people”.
- Incorrect: There is a lot of people outside my home right now.
- Correct: There are several people waiting in line at the bank.