Which Grammar Construction is Correct: 'A Lot of People Have' or 'A Lot of People Has'?

Introducing a common grammatical conundrum that often confounds even seasoned English speakers: the correct grammatical construction for phrases involving a lot of people. This blog delves into the nuances of plural verb agreement, offering insights and practical examples to help you navigate these tricky situations.

Understanding Plural Verb Agreement

In English, proper grammar requires subjects and verbs to agree in number (singular or plural). For example:

Tomorrow, the students will attend the meeting. (students plural, will plural) Tomorrow, the student will attend the meeting. (student singular, will singular)

Addressing the Confusion: 'A Lot of People Have' vs. 'A Lot of People Has'

Often, you might stumble upon the phrase “a lot of people” followed by either a singular or plural verb. Is “a lot of people have” correct, or should it be “a lot of people has”? Let's unraveled the mystery.

The Solution Provided: Context Clues

Some years ago, someone suggested a simple, yet elegant solution to this problem: Remove the prepositional phrase ‘of people’ and see how it fits. For instance:

A lot of rocks are found here. (lot uncountable, are plural) A lot of sand is present on the beach. (lot uncountable, is singular)

By eliminating the preposition 'of', you can understand that 'a lot' is uncountable, hence 'is' is used. However, in the case of ‘people’, 'a lot of people' is always considered a plural subject as it refers to multiple people.

Subject-Verb Agreement with 'A lot of People'

The key here is to recognize that 'a lot of people' is a vague quantifier. Even though 'a lot' is singular, when it precedes a plural noun (people), it functions as a singular subject. Therefore, the correct verb form is singular:

A lot of people have come to the event today.

In this sentence, 'have' is the correct form because both 'a lot' and 'people' are singular in reference to a single action. Alternatively:

There are many people at the party.

Here, 'are' is the correct verb form because 'people' is plural.

Verifying Subject-Verb Agreement

No matter how ambiguous the phrase might appear, you can always verify the correctness of the verb form:

Identify the subject (people in this case). Determine if the subject is singular or plural. Select the appropriate verb form that agrees with the subject.

Remember, if the subject of the sentence refers to a plural noun, the verb should also be plural. If the subject is singular, the verb should be singular.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Some common mistakes include:

Confusing collective nouns: Collective nouns like 'team', 'crowd', or 'flock' can sometimes be treated as singular or plural, depending on the context and intended meaning. Verb tenses: Ensuring the verb agrees with the subject not only in number (singular or plural) but also in tense (past, present, future).

Conclusion

When dealing with phrases like “a lot of people”, always remember that the subject is 'people', which is always plural. Hence, the correct grammatical construction for such phrases is:

A lot of people have come to the meeting. A lot of people has not been seen anywhere.

For those eager to refine their understanding of subject-verb agreement, there are countless resources available online and in print. Familiarize yourself with these rules and definitions, and you'll be well on your way to improving your command of English grammar.