Do we say “There is a lot…” or “There are a lot of…”?
This question was put to me recently by a student who noted that “lot” is the first noun after a verb. In theory, the verb should be singular with “a lot of”, because it is a singular “lot”.
Comparing “There are a lot of apples.” and “There is a lot of apples.”, to many people this sounds incorrect, however. Why?
When should “to be” agree with the first noun?
With a sentence covering states, the noun typically agrees with the first noun, such as There is a car. or They are rocks. The verb “to be” describes the noun, and therefore agrees with whether the noun is singular or plural. This can become confusing, however, when “to be” describes a singular noun that groups a plural: nouns such as couple, pair, group, and crowd may all be followed by plurals, but are treated, grammatically, as singular, as they represent one single unit. Consider that “a couple of people” is one object (a couple), because it combines two separate objects (two people) into one unit. Similarly, “a group of doctors”, “a crowd of onlookers”, “a swarm of bees”. The opposite would be true if we defined a group by a plural number or an adverb expressing a plural: “many chairs” and “twelve nurses”, for example, express plurals that are not grouped into one unit.
Usually, the first noun defines the quantity (and tells us “how many”), and with sentences describing states the verb “to be” will agree with the first noun.
- There is a group of librarians waiting for you.
- There are hundreds of clowns coming.
This can be true of “a lot”; if we strictly want to refer to lot as a singular grouping, then the singular “is a lot” is appropriate. It’s been mentioned in the comments below that this is the “correct” usage, but bear in mind data shows roughly half of English speakers are likely to say “are a lot”, and this a pattern that appears in grammar books – so we must question how the language is actually used rather than how the basic rules say it should be used.
Why doesn’t this work for “There are a lot of / There is a lot”?
The ambiguity here comes from “a lot of” appearing to be a noun phrase when it’s actually not used in the same way. When people say “are a lot”, this is used not as a grouping noun but like a quantifying adjective, like “many”. While a singular verb is appropriate with nouns that define the plural into a singular group, “a lot of” refers to a quantity rather than a grouped unit – modifying the noun as “many” would. So the verb agrees with the noun that “a lot of” qualifies, rather than “a lot”. We can therefore have either “are a lot of” or “is a lot of” depending on our interpretation of this sentence. Mostly, we will use “There are a lot of” with countable nouns, when we discuss plurals, and “There is a lot of” with uncountable nouns, but there is of course flexibility here – in many cases it may be down to the individual’s interpretation of the sentence.
- There are a lot of apples.
- There is a lot of meat.
It’s deceptive, but a good example of how exceptions to some of the simple rules of English can work – because words can be used for functions that are not what they immediately appear to be.
Than you, Phil, for an excellent explanation.
You’re welcome, I’m glad it helps!
I think we should consider this:
“A lot of people think that money grows on trees.”
vs.
“A lot of people thinks that money grows on trees.”
Obviously it is ‘ a lot of people think ‘ as ‘ people ‘relates to several folk.
What a great thread! It answers questions that I’ve had on my mind for a while on this subject.
Thanks
This is perfect, Phil. Thanks. ❤
You’re welcome, I’m glad it helped!
Thanks a lot
So is the sentence “Wow, that’s a lot!” incorrect? Should it be “Wow, those are a lot!”? (sounds wrong to me).
Hi Ray – good question, as it depends on the context of what ‘that’ refers to; ‘that’ would usually be referring to a singular group or uncountable idea, so the singular ‘is’ is appropriate. Most commonly, this would refer to a price or money:
But this one can be especially deceptive, because it might appear to refer to a plural, and be grouped with a plural, when actually ‘that’ refers to a singular idea. Consider:
Without context, we should make the statement “There are a lot of chickens.” But within a context where “that” is not identifying the plural, but instead commenting on the number, then the number itself is treated as a singular idea/amount:
I hope this makes sense?
Thanks for this Phil- this is what I needed. Could you please let me know which sources you are using? We had a test at work and I lost a mark as I said that ‘there are a lot of girls’ is ok… i would be grateful for more evidence.
Hi Kasia, certainly – it’s not always shown as an example in dictionaries, but you can see the first example of the Oxford Living Dictionary has it as a plural here: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/lot (There are a lot of actors…)
More definitive, perhaps, is the entry in Michael Swan’s Practical English Usage, section 333.2. Though he does not frame an example in exactly this form, he states: “It is the subject, and not the form lot/lots, that makes a following verb singular or plural. So when a lot of is used before a plural subject, the verb is plural; when lots of is used before a singular subject, the verb is singular.”
I should probably point out that ‘a lot of’ is technically used here as a pronoun but with this idiomatic use it’s useful to compare it to an adverb.
This is fantastic, Phil. Glad to see that Swan’s grammar is still widely used. I’ve just ordered the 4th edition and can’t wait to read it. Your blogs are fab.
finally I got the answer, alhamdulillaah. thanks a lot, Sir!
By far THE BEST explanation of “a lot of” I’ve come across! Thank you so much.
Thanks Peretz, I’m glad it helped!
Thanks a lot for the tips.
However, there are a lot of mistakes we make and one of them is the difference between “be going to” and ‘will’. How could you help us see the differences and use?
Thanks a lot for your time.
Hi Silvio, the differences between “to be going to” and “will” for the future can be quite subtle, and are not always set in stone. I’ve covered the main comparisons in the book The English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide, but there are also numerous articles on this site which might help. The following two particularly look at the difference for predictions and planned/unplanned events:
https://englishlessonsbrighton.co.uk/making-predictions-future-tense/
https://englishlessonsbrighton.co.uk/use-future-simple-planned-unplanned-events/
Hi Phil. I currently live in Germany and am often asked questions on the nuances of English – I am learning a lot about my mother tongue. The internet is split on this question (and of course everyone has an opinion). But in this case I don’t feel you are correct, so I wanted to explain.
Lot, in this case, is singular, since it is “a lot” and not “several lots”. Therefore you would either say “there is a lot” or “there are lots”. To my mind, the word “lot” could be substituted with “box”.
To me, both “there is a lot of apples” and “there are a lot of apples” both sound fine. But of course you would only say “there IS a box of apples”. So the fact that we have “a” suggests singular rather than plural. I am sure you are correct, but I wanted to point out my feelings and thoughts on this anyway 🙂
Hi Dave, thank you I can totally see your point and certainly it does make grammatical sense. I suppose my explanation here is related more to why ‘are a lot of’ is acceptable, and I shouldn’t suggest ‘is a lot of’ is incorrect – certainly in the frame you give it makes perfect sense. It’s one of those areas that popular usage is certainly responsible for a degree of flexibility, rather than the grammar dictating us (perhaps worth noting that in either case I very much doubt many native speakers have a conscious, logical choice to use one form or the other!).
Thanks Phil. I find I am still learning English – there are so many intricacies 🙂
I am too! I think the learning never stops when it comes to language.
I’d rather use the rule of proximity. There are lots of… There’s a lot of… no manter what comes after that.
Hi Phil, My wife and I are in a disagreement on a tshirt we saw. It said; “Behind every good woman are a lot of chickens.”
Is it correct the way it is, or should it be “…is a lot…”?
– OR –
Are both ways correct?
Our two sides:
1. The verb “are” is modifying the plural noun “chickens” and it should be the plural form.
2. The phrase “. . . lot of chickens” is non-count singular group and is part of the noun subject. Since it follows “every” the verb form has to be the singular “is”.
I won’t tell you which side I’m on but I’m right; aren’t I?
Hi Dustin,
Ha, to hedge my bets I would say that yes both could arguably be correct there, the reasons you’ve given are spot on. I would lean towards the singular for the single grouped instance though, personally, precisely for the reason you’ve given – we’re drawing attention to the grouped phenomenon behind each individual, rather than a general plural.
But yes – it’s rather debatable!
Phil
Hi Phil,
Shouldn’t it rather be written like:
“Behind every woman THERE are a lot of chickens”
Otherwise, the sentence does not sound complete to me
Hi Olga,
Good question – technically yes, “there” would make it more grammatically correct, but (particularly in informal English) the “there” can often be omitted and still be understood in these situations. Off the top of my head, I suppose it happens when we have an adverbial before the “there is/are” statement, so we have a location already presented which makes “there” feel redundant (the location = there). But technically yes, it may be clearer and more correct to keep the “there”. Perhaps worth exploring in a separate article!
Phil
Would this rule also apply to the sentence “There are a large number of batches currently in the warehouse”?
Some people argue that “to be” here refers to “a number”, so it should be “There is a large number of batches currently in the warehouse.”
Hi Peter – that’s a tricky one as it could indeed be argued either way. I’d personally suggest that the number is more appropriately being described, in line with the ‘first noun’ examples, so I would go with the singular.
Simply used “are” with countable noun and Plurals. While Used “is” with uncountable things and Singulars.
Examples There are a lot of children in the garden. (Children are countable).
There is a lot of pollution in the air. (Pollution is uncountable).
That is the generally simplified way to do it as noted in the article, but you will find exceptions!
My offering to you is a lot of thanks.
“There is a lot of apples.”
The above sentence is correct. The sentence has a prepositional phrase (of apples) that may be removed, leaving, “There is a lot.” The word “lot” is singular.
Any argument to the contrary is wrong. Maybe it’s British English, but in the U.S., it’s “There is a lot of ___________.” (Fill in the blank; it doesn’t matter since it’s in a prepositional phrase.
Sorry, I’m late to this conversation, but I just found it today.
Hi Steve,
Thanks for your input – you’re right, of course, that theoretically that is how the rule should work, but the reality is that language is not used based on rules, the rules are there to interpret usage. In this case, a very significant portion of English speakers use “there are a lot”, hence we have to reanalyse what is really being understood in these sentences. Linguistic study tools like Google Trends and Google Ngram show that there is an almost 50/50 split in this usage – which is historically true and has even seen, since 2005 until now, a shift towards the slim majority using “there are a lot” (you can see this here). This data considers both America and the UK (though Trends suggest “there is a lot” remains more common in the North East of the States). It is not fair to simply say people are incorrect, there is a reason that language trends shift, and this article attempts to explain the understanding behind this case. To your point, I could just as easily say the sentence contains a quantifier (a lot of) that may be removed, leaving “There are apples.”, as when English speakers say “There are a lot…” that is the reasoning behind using “are” over “is”.
Naturally, I understand we need rules to aid learning and understanding, but there is a point at which rules must also be reinterpreted, and you have to ask how helpful is it to label a very significant portion of English speakers as being ‘wrong’. The usage will not go away for being technically inappropriate, it is surely better to understand why many find it acceptable. However, that said, in light of your comment I have slightly tweaked the article to make it clear that this is we’re doing here.
Phil, I got a lot out of your explanation, thanks. But how can describe “many” as an adverb, or as acting like an adverb? I don’t see how it modifies either a verb or an adjective. Yet you describe “a lot of” as being used “like a quantifying adverb, like ‘many'”. Other sources don’t bear that out, as far as I can see. Confused!
Hi Nate,
Thanks for the question – you’re right to be confused, that should say ‘quantifying adjective’, not adverb. Apologies for the mix-up, it’s one I actually noticed recently myself so I’m not sure why I didn’t update it! I must’ve thought I had a good reason for saying adverb at the time of writing, but no, it was a mistake, I’m sorry about that – but I’ve updated it now.
(On this issue, it might also be considered a determiner, instead of a quantifying adjective, but the usage in a sentence is essentially the same.)
Thanks, Phil. Well, now I feel smart, so it’s good for everybody!
Glad to hear it!
Thank you!
My son (in the 4th grade) wrote in his english homework ”There are a lot of mushrooms in the forest”. I said ”that is correct” and my wife disagreed. After reading your article she believed me and our son.
Greetings from Finland
I’m glad to hear it helped!
If you are counting coins in a classroom on a chalkboard and then writing about it, “there are forty cents on the board” or is it “there is forty cents on the board”
Hi Nicole,
When it comes to money, we tend to use a plural if we are talking about individual items of money but singular when talking about a total amount, so “there is forty cents [total]” or “there are forty cents [forty coins]”
Phil
Hello Phil. It is so funny that this mail came around today. You see, the other day I was translating a tiny text into English (I am not English myself) and put it There is a number of…. but the grammar suggestion on the PC prompted to change into There are…. I carried out an investigation and though was absolutely sure I could write There is a number… changed as the Word suggested. I was going to write to you and ask but made up my mind not to disturb you. And now this very helpful article. Thank you for the work you are doing. Good luck.
Hi Tammy, I’m glad you hear it was good timing! Yes, Word can be quite technical in its suggestions, it’s often worth questioning them!
Dr Williams,
Would you please clarify the correct use of “there is” or “there are” on the sentence below:
“In England, there IS the metro and the tram,” OR
“In England, there ARE the metro and the tram.”
Please let me know the correct use of “is” and “are” in this example.
Thank you : )
Hi Kari – first, I’m not a doctor! 🙂
But yes, this is one where it could be a bit flexible; “there are the metro and the tram” would be the more simply grammatically correct version as we are introducing a plural of two objects. However, “there is” might be considered more natural and more common in spoken English because the verb is followed by a singular noun. With lists of singular nouns, you’ll find “is” is rather common here. We might justify it by suggesting something like the complete list represents a singular unit (e.g. the complete English transport system), but realistically it’s more just a case that it sounds more natural to say “is” due to the following singular noun. Strict grammarians would tell you “is” is incorrect, but in practice (and as English is a living language, this is really what matters most!), you’ll find “is” is quite acceptable here.
It is : ‘there is the metro and the tram’. The test is , would you say ‘there is the metro and there is the tram’ ? ; or would you say ‘there are the metro and there are the tram’ ? You have your answer if you use this test every time.
Would you agree in common spoken English that many people would say There’s a lot people here rather than There are a lot of people here? This is what led me here…
Hi David, sorry for the slow response, but yes I would, in general I’d say in spoken English ‘There’s’ is much more common than ‘There are’ regardless the context/grammar.