There is or There are a Lot | Correct Usage Made Easy

Use “there is a lot” with one thing, and “there are a lot” with plural things; the verb follows the noun.

You see both forms online, in chats, and in class notes: “there is a lot” and “there are a lot.” The snag is that there sits up front, so your eyes hit is or are before you reach the noun that controls the verb.

This guide keeps it simple. You’ll get a rule you can apply in seconds, a quick table you can scan, and rewrites that sound clean in essays, emails, and reports.

Why This Phrase Trips People Up

In sentences that start with there, the word there is not the subject. It’s a starter that points to existence or presence. The real subject comes after the verb.

That one detail explains most of the mix-ups. If you train yourself to spot the noun after the verb, you’ll choose is or are with a lot less second-guessing.

There is or There are a Lot: Rule That Matches The Noun

Rule: match the verb to the noun that follows it. If the noun is singular or noncount, use is. If the noun is plural, use are.

If you want a quick official check, two solid references say the same thing: the Purdue OWL note on subject-verb agreement with there is/are and the British Council guide to using there is and there are.

Three Fast Steps

Find the noun after the verb (the thing that exists).
Decide if that noun is plural, singular, or noncount.
Pick is for singular/noncount, are for plural.

Noun After The Verb	Use	Model Sentence
a lot of time (noncount)	There is	There is a lot of time left.
a lot of water (noncount)	There is	There is a lot of water on the floor.
a lot of homework (noncount)	There is	There is a lot of homework tonight.
a lot of noise (noncount)	There is	There is a lot of noise outside.
a lot of people (plural)	There are	There are a lot of people in the lobby.
a lot of books (plural)	There are	There are a lot of books on that shelf.
a lot of reasons (plural)	There are	There are a lot of reasons to double-check.
a lot of mistakes (plural)	There are	There are a lot of mistakes in this draft.

Using There Is A Lot And There Are A Lot In Real Sentences

The phrase a lot of works with both count nouns and noncount nouns. That’s why you can’t pick is or are based on a lot alone. You have to look one step further to the noun after of.

Count Nouns: Things You Can Count

Count nouns have a plural form: books, people, chairs, ideas, errors. With plural count nouns, you’ll usually want are.

There are a lot of students in the hall.
There are a lot of emails to answer.
There are a lot of small details in that chart.

With a singular count noun, use is. This is less common with a lot of, yet it happens when the noun is singular on purpose.

There is a lot of a single item missing from the set. (Odd in tone, but possible.)
There is a lot of one product left in stock. (Better: “There is a large amount of one product left.”)

Noncount Nouns: Stuff, Not Items

Noncount nouns do not usually take a plural -s: water, advice, furniture, information, homework, rice, traffic. With noncount nouns, use is.

There is a lot of traffic on this route.
There is a lot of advice online, so pick your sources carefully.
There is a lot of furniture in that room.

People Is A Common Trouble Spot

“People” is plural in standard usage, so the clean form is:

There are a lot of people here.

You may still hear “There is a lot of people here” in casual speech. You’ll hear it because speech is fast and contractions pull you toward there’s. In formal writing, stick with plural agreement: are + people.

When You’ll Hear “There’s” With Plurals

In conversation, many speakers use “there’s” as a one-size opener, even before plural nouns. It’s common, and it can sound natural in relaxed talk.

In edited writing, it can look sloppy, since the verb does not match the plural noun that follows. If you’re writing for school, work, or publication, write the full form that matches the noun:

Casual: There’s a lot of cars on that street.
Edited: There are a lot of cars on that street.

If you want a casual tone without the mismatch, you can rewrite the sentence so the subject comes first:

A lot of cars are on that street.

Questions, Negatives, And Tense Swaps

The same agreement rule holds in questions and negatives. Find the noun after the verb, then match the verb form to it.

Questions

Is there a lot of rain in July?
Are there a lot of assignments this week?
Is there a lot of space in your backpack?
Are there a lot of steps in this process?

Negatives

In writing, you’ll often use the full forms is not and are not. In speech, contractions are normal.

There isn’t a lot of milk left.
There aren’t a lot of seats available.
There is not a lot of evidence in the file.
There are not a lot of options at this price.

Past And Other Tenses

The pattern stays the same when you switch tenses. You still match the verb to the noun that follows it.

There was a lot of noise last night.
There were a lot of mistakes in the first draft.
There has been a lot of progress since Monday.
There have been a lot of changes to the schedule.

Cleaner Alternatives That Sound Strong In Writing

“A lot” is fine in everyday writing, but academic and professional writing often sounds sharper with a more specific quantity word. You don’t need fancy wording. You just need wording that fits the situation.

Try swapping “a lot of” for a word that matches what you mean. If you mean a big number, use many or numerous. If you mean a big amount, use much or a great deal of. If you mean a steady stream, use frequent or regular.

Here’s the bonus: these rewrites often remove the whole “there is/are” structure, so agreement stops being a problem.

Original	Stronger Rewrite	When It Fits
There are a lot of students in the lab.	Many students are in the lab.	Formal tone, count noun
There is a lot of noise in the hallway.	The hallway is noisy.	Short, direct style
There is a lot of traffic on this road.	This road has heavy traffic.	Clear, specific phrasing
There are a lot of reasons for the delay.	The delay has several causes.	Concise summaries
There is a lot of information in this chapter.	This chapter contains a large amount of information.	Noncount noun, formal tone
There are a lot of changes in the new policy.	The new policy includes many changes.	Work or school writing
There isn’t a lot of time left.	We have little time left.	Urgent notes, tighter tone
There weren’t a lot of seats.	Few seats were available.	Reports and reviews

Common Traps And Quick Fixes

These are the spots where writers slip most often. The fixes are small, but they clean up a sentence fast.

Trap: Letting “A Lot” Decide The Verb

Fix: ignore “a lot” and go straight to the noun after of. Plural noun means are. Noncount noun means is.

Trap: Using “There’s” Out Of Habit

Fix: if the next noun is plural, write “there are” instead. If you want the casual sound, rewrite the sentence with the subject first.

Trap: Mixing Up Noncount Nouns

Fix: treat noncount nouns as singular for agreement. Write “There is a lot of” with advice, homework, furniture, traffic, equipment, and information.

Trap: Long Noun Phrases

Fix: locate the head noun. In “There are a lot of reasons for the late submission,” the head noun is reasons, so plural agreement wins.

Copy-Ready Checklist For Fast Editing

Circle the noun after the verb.
If it ends in -s and counts as plural, use are.
If it names stuff (traffic, advice, homework), use is.
If your draft has “there’s” before a plural noun, swap to “there are” or rewrite the sentence.
If the sentence feels weak, try a rewrite that starts with the real subject.

Mini Practice Set

Fill in the blank with is or are. Read the noun after the blank, not the word there.

There ___ a lot of homework tonight.
There ___ a lot of people in the waiting area.
There ___ a lot of traffic near the bridge.
There ___ a lot of messages to reply to.
There ___ a lot of water in the basement.
There ___ a lot of reasons to proofread.
There ___ a lot of noise during lunch.
There ___ a lot of books on the desk.

Answer Key

If you want one line that settles most cases, use this: the phrase there is or there are a lot depends on the noun that comes after the verb, not the word there.

In case you need the exact wording for a note or a comment in a draft, you can write: there is or there are a lot is chosen by noun number, so plural nouns take are and noncount nouns take is.