In the English Grammar Profile, C2 point 110 in the category of PRONOUNS/quantity is defined:
‘A LOT’ AND ‘MUCH’ as subject pronouns for focus
In the English Vocabulary Profile (EVP), ‘much’ or ‘much OF-phrase’ in the subject position is listed at C1. For example:
Much of their stored carbon makes its way back to the atmosphere.
The EVP has other C1 entries for ‘much of phrases’:
I am not much of a dancer myself.
A search in iWeb corpus for:
. A lot _V
1 . A LOT HAS 2043
A lot has happened since that time.
PELIC STUDENT: female level 4 grammar class
2 . A LOT DEPENDS 935
A lot depends on how you answer.
3 . A LOT CAN 852
4 . A LOT IS 572
5 . A LOT WILL 401
6 . A LOT WAS 201
7 . A LOT GOES 172
8 . A LOT ARE 161
9 . A LOT HAVE 97
10 . A LOT COULD 94
. Much _V
1 . MUCH HAS 2489
2 . MUCH APPRECIATED 2187
3 . MUCH LIKE 1310
4 . MUCH IS 1023
5 . MUCH LOVE 752
6 . MUCH DEPENDS 750
7 . MUCH WAS 514
8 . MUCH WILL 479
9 . MUCH CAN 413
10 . MUCH LOVED 317
We also noticed common premodifiers:
That much has always been clear to those of us who have studied wandlore.
1 . THAT MUCH IS 881
2 . SO MUCH HAS 818
3 . SO MUCH IS 662
4 . TOO MUCH IS 402
5 . TOO MUCH CAN 228
6 . THAT MUCH WAS 203
7 . SO MUCH DEPENDS 194
8 . SO MUCH WAS 192
9 . SO MUCH CAN 191
10 . TOO MUCH WILL 118
EXAMPLES:
Since that time, a lot has happened.