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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak quote

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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a lot of functional

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a lot of functional" is not correct in standard written English.
It may be intended to describe a significant quantity of something that is functional, but it lacks clarity and proper context. Example: "We have a lot of functional tools in the workshop that can help with various tasks."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

"The object of undergraduate business education is to educate people, not to give them a lot of functional business stuff".

News & Media

The New York Times

And as she saw it, "there were a lot of beautiful things, and a lot of functional things, but rarely were they both".

News & Media

The New York Times

"I am delighted," said Dr. John Allan Hobson, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard and the director of the Laboratory of Neurophysiology at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center in Boston, "because it suggests that, as we have long suspected, sleep has a lot of functional significance for learning and memory".

News & Media

The New York Times

The FT-IR spectrum of graphene oxide collected in the ATR mode revealed that GO has a lot of functional groups present in the structure.

Opposite to Labute's work, the algorithm developed by Zhao et al. assigns the hybridization states for each atom first, and then uses a lot of functional groups to assign bond orders [13].

Although a lot of functional imaging biomarkers have been proposed as pharmacodynamic biomarkers in early drug development, most of these biomarkers need further validation and standardization for their qualification in phase 1 and 2 human studies.

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Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

We introduce and study two new functional equations, which contain a lot of known functional equations as special cases, arising in dynamic programming of multistage decision processes.

In principle, anodic electrochemiluminescent (ECL) carbon dots (CDs) with a lot of reductive functional groups were used to react with oxidative hydrogen tetrachloroaurate trihydrate in the presence of trisodium citrate.

Science

Carbon

Currently, a lot of the functional elements are in place, and I'm starting to make decisions based more on aesthetics and atmosphere.

News & Media

Vice

By comparison, we found that these two kinds of genes shared a lot of common functional clusters.

Science

BMC Cancer

We're moving into the stage where we're big enough that we're using a lot of cross-functional teams and initiatives.

News & Media

The New York Times
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Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming to express a multitude of functionalities, consider using "highly functional" or "very functional" to convey a greater sense of correctness and professionalism. For example, "This tool is highly functional for various tasks" is more appropriate than "This tool is a lot of functional for various tasks".

Common error

Avoid directly placing "a lot of" before adjectives like "functional". The phrase "a lot of" typically modifies nouns. Instead, use adverbs like "very", "highly", or "extremely" to describe the degree of functionality. For instance, don't say "a lot of functional"; instead, say "very functional".

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

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

82%

Authority and reliability

2.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase is intended to function as a quantifier followed by an adjective, aiming to describe something possessing a high degree of functionality. However, it's grammatically flawed. As noted by Ludwig AI, it's not standard English usage.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

31%

News & Media

31%

Formal & Business

13%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "a lot of functional" is used to express that something possesses a high degree of functionality, it is grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI identifies it as non-standard English. It's recommended to use alternatives like "highly functional" or "very functional" for greater clarity and grammatical correctness, especially in formal contexts. The phrase appears across diverse contexts, including science, news and media, but its incorrectness detracts from its effectiveness.

FAQs

How can I properly use the word "functional" in a sentence?

The word "functional" is an adjective and should be used to describe a noun. For example, "This design is functional." You can also use adverbs to modify "functional", such as "very functional" or "highly functional".

What are some alternatives to "a lot of functional"?

Instead of "a lot of functional", consider using phrases like "highly functional", "very functional", or "quite functional". These options are grammatically correct and maintain a similar meaning.

Is it correct to say "a lot of functional"?

No, it is not grammatically correct to say "a lot of functional". "A lot of" is used to quantify nouns, not to modify adjectives directly. You should use an adverb to modify the adjective "functional".

How does the meaning change when using "very functional" instead of "a lot of functional"?

While both aim to express a high degree of functionality, "very functional" is grammatically correct and clearer. "A lot of functional" is considered incorrect, so using "very functional" ensures proper grammar and easier understanding.

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Source & Trust

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Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences: