a great deal
a great deal — idiom
1. a phrase meaning a large quantity, a high degree, or a great frequency of someth
a phrase meaning a large quantity, a high degree, or a great frequency of something — used before an uncountable or plural noun (with 'of') or directly after a verb to show that something is significant in amount or extent.
Ada spent a great deal of time planning the community garden.
a great deal of + uncountable noun
The price of olive oil varies a great deal from one region to another.
varies a great deal — adverbial after verb
Ravindra has a great deal of experience working with children who have special needs.
The new treatment helped Luca a great deal, and he could walk again within weeks.
Bao's family faced a great deal of difficulty after the flood destroyed their home.
- a lot
much more common in everyday speech; less formal
- a large amount
similar in formality; chiefly used before nouns with 'of'
- a great many
used only with countable plural nouns, not uncountable nouns
- a little
opposite when referring to uncountable quantity or degree
- a small amount
direct opposite; used before nouns with 'of'
文法句型
a great deal of + [uncountable noun / plural noun]
[verb] + a great deal
a great deal + [comparative adjective]
用法筆記
Can be used in three main structures: (1) 'a great deal of + [uncountable noun or abstract plural noun]' indicates a large amount; (2) after a main verb indicates 'to a large extent'; (3) before a comparative adjective intensifies the comparison. More formal-sounding than 'a lot' but common in both writing and speech.
常見錯誤
⚠️ 'This route is a great deal shorter' is grammatically correct but quite formal. In everyday conversation, 'much shorter' or 'far shorter' sounds more natural.