verb + A LOT + comparative adjective | adverb

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

This is an example of "It's a lot easier than it sounds"

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

is a lot cheaper than buying
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 outits 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

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