a lot

IPA/ɐ lˈɒt/
IPA/ɐ lˈɑːt/

a lot — idiom

1. in large amounts or to a great degree — more than just a little. You can use it

1.慣用語A1
釋義

in large amounts or to a great degree — more than just a little. You can use it to talk about a big quantity of something, or about how strongly an action happens.

例句

Talia ate a lot of watermelon at the family picnic.

a lot of + uncountable noun for large quantity

Mateo has been working a lot since the restaurant opened.

verb + a lot as an adverb of degree

同義詞
  • much

    more formal; often used in questions and negatives

  • lots

    even more casual than 'a lot'; common in speech

  • a great deal

    formal; used mainly in writing and formal speech

  • plenty

    emphasises that the amount is enough or more than enough

反義詞
  • a little

    a small amount, the opposite extreme

  • not much

    near-zero amount; common in negative statements

文法句型

a lot of + noun

verb + a lot

a lot + comparative

用法筆記

More informal than 'much' or 'a great deal'. When a noun follows, you must include 'of': 'a lot of people' (not 'a lot people'). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense answers 'how much?', not 'how often?'.

常見錯誤

❌I have a lot books.
✅I have a lot of books.
💡'a lot' needs 'of' before the noun it describes.
❌She is a lot tired.
✅She is very tired.
💡'a lot' can modify verbs and comparatives (a lot better), but not adjectives directly. Use 'very' instead.

2. many times, or happening on most occasions — not just once in a while but as a r

2.慣用語A2
釋義

many times, or happening on most occasions — not just once in a while but as a regular pattern

例句

Quan visits his grandmother a lot now that she lives nearby.

verb + a lot for frequency

Daichi travels a lot for his job at the software company.

同義詞
  • often

    neutral; the most direct equivalent

  • frequently

    more formal; common in written English

  • regularly

    emphasises a steady, predictable pattern

  • all the time

    stronger; suggests it happens nearly constantly

反義詞

文法句型

verb + a lot

用法筆記

Always sits after the verb or at the end of the clause. Distinguish from sense 1: here the phrase answers 'how often?' rather than 'how much?'. If you can replace 'a lot' with 'often' and the sentence still works, you are using sense 2.

常見錯誤

❌I a lot go to the park.
✅I go to the park a lot.
💡'a lot' as a frequency adverb must come after the verb, not before it.