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There were a lot of people vs There was a lot of people

The correct phrase is 'there were a lot of people.' 'Were' is the correct verb to use because 'people' is a plural noun. 'Was' should not be used with a plural noun like 'people'.
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Explained by Jennifer
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: November 01, 2024 • 11187 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"There were a lot of people"

Use 'there were a lot of people' when referring to a large number of individuals. 'Were' is the correct verb to use with the plural noun 'people.'

Examples:

  • There were a lot of people at the concert.
  • There were a lot of people waiting in line.
  • There were a lot of people in the park.
  • There were a lot of people in the room.
  • There were a lot of people on the bus.
  • Jan 2, 2019 ... Use "There were a lot of people" because "people" is a countable noun. If you were talking of an uncountable noun, you would use was, eg. "There ...
  • May 8, 2024 ... "There were a lot of people, so I didn't have enough space to play." Grammar / Syntax. Is this sentence grammatically correct? I am ...
  • Aug 10, 2008 ... There were a lot of people in there. Does "to be" accord with "a lot" or with "people"? I would think the first one but my computer gives me ...
  • Dec 16, 2014 ... I noticed there were a lot of people posting the night sky on Route 120 in ORAS, so I tried my hand at it. · Comments Section · Community Info ...
  • Nov 7, 2017 ... there WERE a lot of people or there WAS a lot of people ? · There were alot of people · were. "Was" is used for singular past tense.
  • Aug 5, 2024 ... 180 likes, 1 comments - rudyfrancisco on August 5, 2024: "Since there were a lot of people on the waitlist who couldn't get tickets to the ...
  • Aug 19, 2024 ... But there were a lot of people who didn't do good things, and I had some friends who got caught up in that. My parents helped keep me away ...
  • Aug 16, 2024 ... When I crowdfunded Godspell 13 years ago, I was testing a thesis. I believed there were a lot of people out there interested in investing in ...

Alternatives:

  • There was a large crowd of people.
  • Many people were present.
  • A large number of individuals were there.
  • The place was crowded with people.
  • The area was filled with people.

This phrase is incorrect in English. 'Was' should not be used with the plural noun 'people.'

"There was a lot of people"

  • Jan 2, 2019 ...There was a lot of people at the party.” ('a lot' is singular, hence 'was'). Semantically, this phrase means: 'There was one large party of ...
  • Jan 11, 2024 ... There was a lot of people in my life who helped raise this bad bad boy right here in the middle, my tio danny and tia tere, my nino eddie, ...
  • Aug 10, 2008 ... Which is correct? There was a lot of people in there. There were a lot of people in there. Does "to be" accord with "a lot" or with "people" ...
  • Oct 27, 2024 ... 28 likes, 5 comments - caseyanne_henderson on October 27, 2024: "there was a lot of people curous about the random boot lol #diy ...
  • Nov 7, 2017 ... there WERE a lot of people or there WAS a lot of people ? · There were alot of people · were. "Was" is used for singular past tense.
  • Jul 25, 2024 ... Facing outside pressure to transfer, Michigan Football's culture prevailed; Colston Loveland: 'There was a lot of people hitting us up, pulling us every which ...
  • Jan 7, 2020 ... ... There was a lot of people"? ·. “A lot of people” means “many people”, so it's plural. “A lot of people” means “a big collection of people ...
  • Jul 16, 2023 ... 12K likes, 75 comments - stephengokulomas on July 16, 2023: "There was a lot of people there. @alixandstephenshow @lgmboys @breakaway ...
  • May 22, 2024 ... David Meredith (@dmeredithphoto). 1 Reply. 1 Like. There was a lot of people unhappy about the cops shooting the bear.

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