A lot of, lots of, and a lot: what’s the difference? 

These three expressions look similar, but they’re used in slightly different ways. Let’s break it down so you can use them correctly and confidently! 

A lot of / Lots of 

These two phrases have the same meaning; they both mean a large amount or a large number of something. 

They can be used before both countable and uncountable nouns. 

with countable nouns: 

• A lot of students went to the game. 
• Lots of students went to the game 

with uncountable nouns: 

• A lot of snow falls in winter. 
• Lots of snow falls in winter. 

A lot 

“a lot” on its own means very much or very often. 

 
It’s used as an adverb (of frequency), not before a noun. It usually comes at the end of a sentence or just before an adjective. 

Incorrect: A lot people came to the match. 

Correct: A lot of people came to the match. 

Here are some more examples. 

• I like basketball a lot. 
• She’s a lot happier now than she was last year. 
• We don’t see them a lot these days. 

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