verb + A LOT + comparative adjective | adverb – English Grammar Profiler

The complex adverbial phrase ‘a lot‘ means something like: ‘very’, ‘much’ ‘to a large degree.’

‘a lot’ can modify comparative adjectives or adverbs. It can intensify their degree.

Here are a few sentences to understand how we make ‘stronger’ comparisons with predicative adjectives:

Notice that the adjective comes after a linking verb (BE) and not before a noun.

It is easy.
It is very easy. (easy to a large degree)
It is easier. (comparison)
It is a lot easier. (easier to a large degree or ‘much’ easier)

There are many other degree adverbs that can change comparatives such as ‘much’, ‘a bit’, ‘slightly’.

Here’s the top 100 list of the grammar construction “Verb + a lot + comparative adjective”

from a search in the iWeb corpus for _v* a lot _jjr* :

1 ‘S A LOT EASIER 3509

collocates 4 to the left and right: 1 THAN (CSN ) 2585 2 DONE (VDN ) 162

3 SOUNDS (VVZ ) 61

2 IS A LOT EASIER 3189

3 BE A LOT EASIER 2427

4 IS A LOT CHEAPER 1823

1 THAN (CSN ) 928
2 BUYING (VVG ) 47

3 BUY (VVI ) 24

5 DO A LOT WORSE 1402 (incorrectly tagged by claws7, this is an adverb)

I could do a lot worse.

listen to this example

6 BE A LOT CHEAPER 1233 7 BEEN A LOT WORSE 1223 8 BE A LOT WORSE 990 9 ‘S A LOT HARDER 988 10 IS A LOT SMALLER 898 11 IS A LOT BIGGER 893 12 IS A LOT HARDER 881 13 IS A LOT HIGHER 879

14 TAKE A LOT LONGER 864 (modifying an adverb)

If you wanna find out, it‘s gonna take a lot longer than five minutes.

Switch

15 BE A LOT HIGHER 804 16 ARE A LOT EASIER 803 17 ‘S A LOT CHEAPER 783 18 ARE A LOT CHEAPER 780 19 BE A LOT HARDER 770 20 WAS A LOT EASIER 670 21 BE A LOT HAPPIER 650 22 GET A LOT WORSE 642 23 IS A LOT LOWER 601 24 IS A LOT SIMPLER 599 25 TAKES A LOT LONGER 576 26 BE A LOT BETTER 511 27 IS A LOT STRONGER 466 28 IS A LOT BETTER 463 29 IS A LOT WORSE 453 30 BE A LOT LOWER 424 31 BE A LOT SIMPLER 395 32 ARE A LOT HIGHER 390 33 BE A LOT BIGGER 387 34 WAS A LOT CHEAPER 383 35 ARE A LOT BIGGER 366 36 ARE A LOT SMALLER 350 37 BE A LOT SMALLER 335 38 IS A LOT LIGHTER 326 39 WAS A LOT YOUNGER 325

40 IS A LOT TOUGHER 296

41 WAS A LOT BIGGER 293 42 WAS A LOT SMALLER 284 43 GOT A LOT WORSE 283 44 BECOMES A LOT EASIER 281 45 ARE A LOT WORSE 279 46 BE A LOT STRONGER 278

47 BE A LOT TOUGHER 276

You must be a lot tougher than you look.

listen

48 IS A LOT LARGER 276 49 ‘S A LOT BETTER 275 50 ARE A LOT HARDER 270 51 GO A LOT SMOOTHER 264 52 IS A LOT SHORTER 261 53 ARE A LOT BETTER 250 54 IS A LOT NICER 249 55 HAVE A LOT BETTER 243 56 ARE A LOT STRONGER 239 57 WAS A LOT HARDER 238 58 WAS A LOT WORSE 235 59 TOOK A LOT LONGER 227 60 ‘S A LOT BIGGER 221 61 ARE A LOT LOWER 214 62 BEEN A LOT EASIER 211 63 GET A LOT BETTER 211 64 ARE A LOT SMARTER 210 65 WORK A LOT HARDER 208 66 BECOME A LOT EASIER 203 67 ‘S A LOT SIMPLER 202 68 LOOKS A LOT NICER 198 69 IS A LOT QUIETER 192 70 BE A LOT SHORTER 191 71 IS A LOT CLEANER 188 72 LOOK A LOT NICER 184 73 GET A LOT BIGGER 183 74 IS A LOT SMOOTHER 181 75 IS A LOT HEAVIER 176 76 WAS A LOT HIGHER 175 77 ‘S A LOT WORSE 166 78 IS A LOT OLDER 164 79 GOT A LOT BIGGER 163 80 IS A LOT THINNER 163 81 BE A LOT NICER 158 82 DO A LOT BETTER 157 83 ‘S A LOT TOUGHER 154 84 IS A LOT SMARTER 153 85 WAS A LOT SIMPLER 150 86 ARE A LOT TOUGHER 148 87 IS A LOT DARKER 147 88 RUN A LOT SMOOTHER 146 89 ‘S A LOT SMALLER 143 90 WAS A LOT BETTER 143 91 BE A LOT COOLER 142 92 FEEL A LOT BETTER 142 93 IS A LOT HEALTHIER 141 94 WAS A LOT TOUGHER 141 95 BE A LOT CLEARER 139 96 IS A LOT SOFTER 138 97 BE A LOT SMARTER 137 98 IS A LOT THICKER 135 99 GETS A LOT WORSE 134

100 WAS A LOT STRONGER 134

B1 comparative adjectives:

smarter, smoother, thicker

B2:
tougher