Subject verb agreement can be a tricky area of grammar for a lot of people. One particular phrase that tends to give writers trouble is “a lot of”.
When using “a lot of” in a sentence, it’s important to pay attention to the noun that follows it. If the noun is countable (i.e. can be pluralized), then the verb should be plural as well. For example:
– A lot of people are coming to the party.
– There are a lot of books on the shelf.
In both of these examples, “a lot of” is followed by a plural noun (“people” and “books”), and so the verb is also plural (“are” and “are”).
However, if the noun following “a lot of” is uncountable (i.e. can’t be pluralized), then the verb should be singular. For example:
– A lot of water has spilled on the floor.
– There is a lot of sand on the beach.
In these examples, “a lot of” is followed by uncountable nouns (“water” and “sand”), so the verb is singular (“has” and “is”).
It’s important to note that “a lot” without “of” doesn’t change the rule for subject verb agreement. The noun that follows “a lot” determines whether the verb should be singular or plural. For example:
– A lot of people are coming to the party. (plural noun)
– A lot of water has spilled on the floor. (uncountable noun)
– A lot of dogs are barking outside. (plural noun)
– A lot of noise is coming from the construction site. (uncountable noun)
In conclusion, when using “a lot of” in a sentence, make sure to pay attention to the noun that follows it to determine whether the verb should be singular or plural. By following this rule, you can ensure that your writing is clear, concise, and grammatically correct – all while still appearing high in search engine rankings with proper SEO techniques.