Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and this is your regularly scheduled reminder that “a lot” is two words, never one word.
Under no circumstances is “a lot,” as in “many or much,” a single word. This phrase can be an adverb—“I run a lot”—or an unofficial idiom, not really any part of speech at all, as in “I have a lot of cheese.” This useful little phrase is commonly confused with “allot,” spelled as one word with two Ls. “Allot” is a verb which means to assign or set aside or distribute.
The worst grammatical crime of all when it comes to “a lot” is to spell the phrase as one word with one L. This word doesn’t exist and will earn a place in the Grammar Hall of Shame. It may take a lot of time to get used to, but be sure to keep your allotments separate from your lots.
That’s your Grammar Minute! Visit thegrammarminute.com for more tips and tricks.