"lack of building material" vs "lack of building materials"

Question

"lack of building material" vs "lack of building materials"

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'Lack of building material' is used when referring to a specific type of material that is missing, while 'lack of building materials' is used when talking about a general shortage of various materials needed for construction.

Last Updated: March 24, 2024

This phrase is used when talking about the absence of a particular type of material needed for construction.

Examples:

The construction was delayed due to a lack of building material.
The project was put on hold because of the lack of building material.

Alternatives:

shortage of building material
absence of building material
insufficient building material
scarcity of building material
deficiency of building material

This phrase is used when talking about the absence of multiple types of materials required for construction.

Examples:

The construction project was halted due to a lack of building materials.
The lack of building materials made it impossible to continue with the project.

Alternatives:

shortage of building materials
absence of building materials
insufficient building materials
scarcity of building materials
deficiency of building materials

Answer 1

lack of building material

This phrase is correct when referring to a specific type of material that is missing.

Answer 2

lack of building materials

This phrase is correct when referring to a general shortage of various materials needed for construction.

"lack of building material" vs "lack of building materials"

lack of building material

lack of building materials

Related Comparisons