(1) 用作主語。如：
A lot hangs on this decision. 很多事情都取決于這一決定。
A lot will depend on how she responds to the challenge. 在很大程度上將取決于她對(duì)這一難題的反應(yīng)。
(2) 用作賓語?？捎脛?dòng)詞賓語或介詞賓語。如：
Sophia must have been through a lot. 索菲婭一定受過很多苦。
I have learned a lot from him since I have known him. 自從我認(rèn)識(shí)了他，我向他學(xué)到許多東西。
(3) 用作表語。如：
Two hundred pounds is a lot to spend on a dress. 買一件衣服要花200英鎊是夠多的。
(4) 用作狀語。一是用于修飾比較級(jí)，二是用于修飾動(dòng)詞：
①修飾比較級(jí)，相當(dāng)于much，意為“……得多”。如：
It’s a lot colder today than it was yesterday. 今天比昨天冷得多。
Houses are a lot more expensive these days. 如今的房價(jià)貴多了。
②修飾動(dòng)詞，一是表示程度，意為“很”“很多”“非?！钡龋欢潜硎绢l率，意為“經(jīng)?！薄Ｈ纾?/div>
He has helped me a lot. 他給予了我很大的幫助。
George smokes a lot. 喬治煙抽得很多。
I play tennis quite a lot in the summer. 夏天我經(jīng)常打網(wǎng)球。
She is very pretty and goes out a lot. 她長得很漂亮，常常到外頭玩。
在口語中，有時(shí)可用lots代替a lot。如：
She loves him lots. 她非常愛他。
There’s lots we can do. 有許多事情我們可以做。
I eat lots less than I used to. 我吃得比從前少得多。
a lot of、 lots of
a lot of與lots of的意思和用法完全相同，都是起形容詞作用的詞組，可用于修飾可數(shù)或不可數(shù)名詞。相當(dāng)于many或much. 如：
There are a lot of / lots of famous movie stars in the USA. 美國有許多著名的電影明星。
We need a lot of [lots of] money. 我們需要很多錢。
He has quite a lot of [lots of] friends. 他有很多朋友。
A lot of people think that time is money.(許多的人認(rèn)為時(shí)間就是金錢。)
修飾主語時(shí)，謂語的數(shù)取決于它所修飾名詞的數(shù)。如：
A lot of money was spent on it. 在它上面花了很多錢。
A lot of people were interested in it. 對(duì)此感興趣的人很多。
plenty of
表示“足夠、大量”,既可以修飾不可數(shù)名詞也可以修飾可數(shù)名詞的復(fù)數(shù)形式。如：
I don’t have to do it in a hurry because I have plenty of time.(我用不著趕忙,因?yàn)槲矣谐渥愕臅r(shí)間。)
a number of / large numbers of
只可以修飾可數(shù)名詞復(fù)數(shù)形式(它修飾的詞作主語時(shí)謂語用復(fù)數(shù)形式)可以換為some、many、a lot of、plenty of。
I have a number of letters to write today.(今天我有好多信要寫)
a great deal of
只可以修飾不可數(shù)名詞(它修飾的詞作主語時(shí)謂語用單數(shù)形式)可以換為much。如：
I spend a great deal of time/money on shopping.(在購物方面我花費(fèi)了大量的時(shí)間/金錢。)
