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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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a large amount of documents

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a large amount of documents" is not correct in standard written English.
The word "amount" is typically used with uncountable nouns, while "documents" is a countable noun. Example: "I have a large number of documents to review before the meeting."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Academia

Wiki

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

They also took a computer and a large amount of documents and videos from the home, Mr. Taebi said.

News & Media

The New York Times

To do the latter exercise meant that the court itself had to trawl through a large amount of documents in the file.

News & Media

The Guardian

This lesson plan was also important in the scheme of our course, as the students were required to write a research paper, in which they posed research questions and developed a narrative from a large amount of documents and data to answer that question.

However, this space reduction is very time-consuming and computationally intensive considering a large amount of documents in our collection.

Though most households don't need to store a large amount of documents, businesses often do.

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Since there is a large amount of documented literature on the difference between dominant and subordinate mice in behavioral coping strategies towards environmental stimuli [13], [14], [19], we monitored behaviors of dyads characterized by a stable dominant-subordinate relationship.

Science

Plosone

They say Podesta was clearly referring to a "news dump," D.C.-speak for releasing a large amount of unflattering documents in an effort to put the issue to rest.

News & Media

Los Angeles Times

The biology of these animals was studied over the past 250 years [ 7], resulting in a large amount of literature documenting their ecological diversity.

We found a large amount of interruptions not documented.

A large amount of data have documented the clinical relevance of these lesions in non-headache people; WMHs have indeed been associated with cognitive impairment (both in terms of global cognition, executive function, mental and processing speed), long-term cognitive decline, gait disturbance and falls, stroke, death, depression and urinary incontinence [48, 53 60].

In terms of substance use behaviors, a large amount of literature has documented the association between cigarette use and alcohol use [ 16– 18], as well as smoking and marijuana use [ 19, 20].

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Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer using "a large number of documents" or "many documents" to ensure grammatical correctness and clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "amount" with countable nouns like "documents". "Amount" is best reserved for uncountable nouns such as "water", "money", or "time". Using "number" will provide a better sentence.

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

83%

Authority and reliability

2.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a large amount of documents" acts as a determiner phrase, specifying the quantity of the noun "documents". Though grammatically questionable, it appears across various contexts as highlighted by Ludwig. As Ludwig AI suggests, the use of "amount" with the countable noun “documents” is not considered correct in standard English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Wiki

20%

Formal & Business

20%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "a large amount of documents" is used to indicate a significant quantity of documents, it is grammatically incorrect. According to Ludwig AI, the word "amount" should be used with uncountable nouns, whereas "documents" is countable. Correct alternatives include "a large number of documents" or "many documents". While examples exist across various sources, including news, science, and academia, using grammatically correct alternatives enhances clarity and credibility. Prefer "a large number" or "many" for countable items like documents.

FAQs

What's a grammatically correct alternative to "a large amount of documents"?

You can use the phrase "a large number of documents" or simply "many documents", which are grammatically correct and widely accepted.

Is it always wrong to use "amount" with countable nouns?

In formal writing, it's generally discouraged. "Amount" is typically used for uncountable nouns. For countable nouns, use "number" instead. However, in some informal contexts, "amount" might be used loosely, though it's best to avoid this in professional or academic writing.

How can I remember when to use "amount" versus "number"?

Think of it this way: if you can count the items individually (like documents, cars, or people), use "number". If you can't count them individually (like water, sand, or time), use "amount".

What are some other ways to describe having many documents?

Besides "a large number of documents", you could also say "numerous documents", "a substantial quantity of documents", or "an extensive collection of documents" depending on the context.

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Source & Trust

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Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences: