How to say “a lot of” like a native speaker
A large amount or number. It works with both countable nouns, such as people, and uncountable nouns, such as time.
All phrases · Workplace
Hear “a lot of” in real speech
Clip 1 · VOA Learning English
James Madison, Rescued rower, Imagery, Guilty pleasure · 27:53
About this video
Caty Weaver and Mario Ritter Jr. introduce a VOA Learning English programme with slower speech for learners. Its stories include James Madison, the rescue of a Pacific rower, and ways to connect vocabulary with personal experience.
In context
But my problem is the amount I eat.I can eat a lot of it.
So, Andrew, the devil and the angel keep fighting with each other.
Clip 2 · Bill Gates
Innovating to zero! | Bill Gates · 10:04
About this video
Bill Gates talks about energy, climate and the need to reduce emissions. He explains why climate changes affect people living in poverty and discusses possible energy technologies, including a nuclear-fuel idea.
In context
than any type of waste you think of in terms of nuclear or other things?This is a lot of volume.
So that's a tough one.
Clip 3 · J.J. Abrams
The mystery box | JJ Abrams · 6:10
About this video
J. J. Abrams discusses why mystery matters to him in storytelling. He refers to questions about Lost and uses the idea of a mystery box to think about how stories hold an audience's attention.
In context
We had 11 and a half weeks to write it, cast it, crew it, shoot it, cut it, post it, turn in a two-hour pilot.So it was not a lot of time.
And that sense of possibility -- what could this thing be?
When to use “a lot of”
- Describing a busy event: “There were a lot of people at the market.”
- Explaining a delay: “This repair takes a lot of time.”
Common learner mistake
Write “a lot” as two words, and keep “of” before the noun: “a lot of work”.
Possible connected-speech patterns in “a lot of”
Both “a” and “of” are normally weak. In some American speech the T links to the next vowel as a quick tap.
Related phrases
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A slow line to begin with: listen to how “don’t need to” runs together, then say it at the speaker’s pace.
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