2007-02-09 03:34:56 · 18 answers · asked by firewireo 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Okay, say we have a group of people, and we want to say many of them are smart, how'd we say that? :: "lots of them are smart" or "a lot of them are smart"? what about numbers and amounts? which is proper for each?
2007-02-09 03:49:53 · update #1
'lots of' is more colloquial (informal) and wouldn't be used in any formal letters or essays. It is more commonly used in speech than in writing.
2007-02-09 03:38:49 · answer #1 · answered by h0axsp1d0r 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hi FireWire,
Goodly one that I had not given a great deal of consideration to in the past. I do now.
I suppose "a lot of" folks might consider this answer to be "lots of" tosh. Fair play !
I have a lot of questions, which presumably means that I have a list of things to ask. I also have lots of pencils, as I collect daft ones from around the planet for fun.
According to the "Dictionary of English Usage", by Collins, both phrases are fine, it would seem.
I guess that "a lot of it" is somewhat dielect based.
I am, in origin a Geordie, so we would say "Gan on, hinny, thore's piles of it" We never said "lots" - it was deemed "too posh"
Hey Ho. Such are the vagieries of the English language.
I pity sometimes all those trying to learn it all !
Lots of regards,
Bob.
(Oh PS, my young neice, Lottie visited today - I call her Lots)
2007-02-09 04:04:52 · answer #2 · answered by Bob the Boat 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In this instance they are interchangeable but in general, it depends on the context. "Lots of" is used when a quantity could be defined i e lots of people could be replaced with several people, 5 people, a hundred people whereas "a lot of" would be used when a quantity would be definable by the addition of weights and measures i e a lot of water, a gallon of water; a lot of sand, a ton of sand
2007-02-09 04:49:06 · answer #3 · answered by anabelezenith 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
An "a" and a "s", other than that, the meaning is pretty much the same. Not sure if one is one is more preferred, but my guess would be "a lot of".
2007-02-09 03:38:44 · answer #4 · answered by Pirate AM™ 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Syntax
2007-02-09 03:39:08 · answer #5 · answered by J K 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends whether you can count them eg
A lot of water....uncountable.
Lots of people...countable.
This is especially useful for deciding between..much and many, a little and few.
Much/a little water...but many/a few people.
2007-02-09 10:11:11 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
grammatically or suggestively
alot of normaly implies to many of one thing while
lots of suggest many choices
i.e. i have a lot of bread because i work in a bakery but i have lots of choices for a sandwich, rye wheat white blah blah
2007-02-09 03:40:17 · answer #7 · answered by Island Girl 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Proper grammar.
2007-02-09 03:37:35 · answer #8 · answered by bricriu2 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The word "lot" is the measurement. A lot, means 1 lot, lots of, means more than one lot, so "lots of" is more than "a lot of"
2007-02-09 03:40:20 · answer #9 · answered by Melissa 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
"By the lot" means a group of something "a lot", meaning one
groups "lots of", meaning several groups.
2007-02-09 03:40:10 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋