"There is a lot of staff" vs "There are a lot of staff"

Question

"There is a lot of staff" vs "There are a lot of staff"

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'There are a lot of staff' is used when referring to a plural subject, while 'There is a lot of staff' is used when treating 'a lot' as a singular unit. The choice between 'are' and 'is' depends on whether you are emphasizing the individual members of the staff or the collective group.

Last Updated: March 30, 2024

Use 'there is a lot of staff' when you want to emphasize the collective group of staff. 'Is' is used for singular units.

Examples:

There is a lot of staff available to help with the event.
There is a lot of staff working on this project.

Alternatives:

There is a large amount of staff.
There is an abundance of staff members.

Use 'there are a lot of staff' when you want to emphasize the individual members of the staff. 'Are' is used for plural subjects.

Examples:

There are a lot of staff members working on the project.
There are a lot of staff in the office today.

Alternatives:

There are many staff members.
There are numerous staff in the department.

Answer 1

There is a lot of staff

This phrase is correct when treating 'a lot' as a singular unit.

Answer 2

There are a lot of staff

This phrase is correct when referring to a plural subject.

"There is a lot of staff" vs "There are a lot of staff"

There is a lot of staff

There are a lot of staff

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