a vast quantity of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'a vast quantity of' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate the amount or size of something that is very large. For example, "The warehouse held a vast quantity of furniture."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

That's a vast quantity of ice.

The Guardian - Opinion

"Amazon is a big games company; it sells a vast quantity of games," he said.

The Guardian - Tech

It consists of a vast quantity of transparencies, prints, notebooks and negatives.

The Guardian

Where will the world find a replacement for such a vast quantity of energy?

The Guardian - Opinion

Players get their needed amino acids from a vast quantity of vegetables.

The New Yorker

Universities receive a vast quantity of submissions and they cannot always guarantee their safe return.

The Guardian

Each day a vast quantity of beer is sold from this closely packed warren of stores.

The Economist

There's a vast quantity of great television out there and this means that I don't miss a thing.

The Guardian - Tech

What actually eventuated, however, was a vast quantity of flatulent chin music, studded with words like "communication," "relationship," and "chemistry".

The New Yorker

A temporary port was rapidly rebuilt and handled a vast quantity of war matériel until hostilities ended.

Encyclopedia Britannica

"The smell of the exhaust is exactly like being exposed to a vast quantity of evaporating gin".

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a vast quantity of" when you want to emphasize the immensity or abundance of something, creating a strong impression of scale.

Common error

While "a vast quantity of" is generally acceptable, avoid overusing it in casual conversation. Opt for simpler alternatives like "a lot of" or "many" in informal settings.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a vast quantity of" functions as a determiner phrase, specifically quantifying a noun. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and serves to emphasize the large amount or size of something. Examples from Ludwig show its use across various domains to highlight abundance.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

41%

Science

39%

Encyclopedias

8%

Less common in

Wiki

4%

Formal & Business

3%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a vast quantity of" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase for emphasizing a large amount or number of something. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, its correctness and broad applicability make it a reliable choice for descriptive writing. While versatile, it tends to be more common in neutral to formal contexts such as news, scientific publications, and encyclopedias, adding emphasis to descriptions. For less formal settings, consider using alternatives such as “a lot of” or “many”. The sources cited by Ludwig reinforce this phrase’s legitimacy and frequent appearance in quality content.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a large quantity of

Changes the adjective from 'vast' to 'large', indicating a considerable but potentially less immense amount.

a great quantity of

Replaces 'vast' with 'great', suggesting a substantial and noteworthy amount.

a substantial quantity of

Uses 'substantial' to highlight the significance and size of the amount.

a tremendous quantity of

Employs 'tremendous' to emphasize the impressive size of the quantity.

a significant quantity of

Replaces 'vast' with 'significant', focusing on the importance and impact of the amount.

a considerable quantity of

Uses 'considerable' to suggest the amount is worth taking into account.

a huge quantity of

Substitutes 'vast' with 'huge', indicating a very large size in a more informal way.

a massive quantity of

Replaces 'vast' with 'massive', conveying a sense of great size and weight.

an enormous quantity of

Changes the adjective from 'vast' to 'enormous', indicating extraordinarily large size.

a large volume of

Shifts the focus to 'volume' instead of 'quantity', suitable when referring to things measured in bulk or capacity.

FAQs

How can I use "a vast quantity of" in a sentence?

Use "a vast quantity of" to describe something that exists in a very large amount. For example, "The library contains "a vast quantity of" books on various subjects".

What are some alternatives to "a vast quantity of"?

You can use alternatives like "a large amount of", "a great deal of", or "an abundance of" depending on the context.

Is it better to use "a vast quantity of" or "many"?

"A vast quantity of" is more formal and emphasizes the size of the amount. "Many" is simpler and suitable for informal contexts. The best choice depends on the tone and audience of your writing.

What is the difference between "a vast quantity of" and "a vast number of"?

"A vast quantity of" is typically used for uncountable nouns (e.g., water, information), while "a vast number of" is used for countable nouns (e.g., books, people). For example, “a vast quantity of data” versus “a vast number of stars”.