Luiz
There is / There are How to use the formulas ''There is'' and ''There are'' with the following words/expressions: some, many, (a) few, a lot of, lots of, plenty of, several...? What I mean is, is it correct to say, for instance, ''there is lots of''? Or shouldn't ''lots of'' be used with only ''there are''? Thank you very much.
Oct 9, 2019 3:18 AM
Answers · 7
1
Whether we say “a lot” or “lots” is irrelevant. The number is based on the real subject. This is an example of “notional agreement”: There is a lot of stuff. There are a lot of things. “Lots” is a bit less formal / more colloquial. There is lots of stuff. There are lots of things.
October 9, 2019
Thank you very much, you people!
October 10, 2019
Only 'there are lots" is correct. I can't say I am used to native speakers of my acquaintance saying 'is lots' and if I heard it I would wince - it sounds awful. As I often recommend to students on this forum - it takes no more effort to learn correct English than it does to learn bad English. And the excuse that 'lots of native speakers say it....' is not necessarily an excuse to copy them in my view. But I am an old-fashioned British English speaker, so have less tolerance for this sort of thing than some others might. Good luck with your English-learning Luiz.
October 9, 2019
Heather's right. Grammar books will say "are lots", but in practice native speakers will often interchange 'is' and 'are'.
October 9, 2019
textbook rules would tell you to say 'there are lots of...' but in reality native speakers use 'there is lots of' and 'there are lots of' interchangeably
October 9, 2019
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