lots of paperwork

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "lots of paperwork" is correct and commonly used in written English.
It can be used when referring to someone who has a large or overwhelming amount of paperwork to do. For example, "The manager had lots of paperwork to complete before the end of the week."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

26 human-written examples

So nurses ended up doing lots of paperwork.

The Economist

Trials involve expensive lawyers, fussy procedures and lots of paperwork.

The Economist

At this point you will need to provide lots of paperwork showing your income and outgoings.

The Guardian - Money

Here's a selection of their top tips: Running a food truck or stall can come with lots of paperwork.

The Guardian

Before I left, getting everything sorted involved filling in lots of paperwork and this taught me to be more organised.

The Guardian - Opinion

It had to be done through tedious, one-off partnerships with each e-mail provider and required lots of meetings and lots of paperwork.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

34 human-written examples

"It's a lot of paperwork".

The New Yorker

There was indeed a lot of paperwork.

The New York Times

"It takes a lot of paperwork.

The New Yorker

It was a tremendous lot of paperwork.

The New York Times

"There's a lot of paperwork," he said.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "lots of paperwork", consider the audience and context. For formal settings, "extensive documentation" or "significant administrative burden" might be more appropriate.

Common error

Avoid using "lots of paperwork" in highly formal documents or reports. Opt for more professional alternatives like "extensive documentation" or "considerable administrative requirements" for a more polished tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "lots of paperwork" functions as a noun phrase, often serving as the object of a verb or the complement of a preposition. Ludwig AI confirms that is correct and widely used. For example, "The job involves lots of paperwork".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Academia

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Wiki

5%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "lots of paperwork" is a common and grammatically correct phrase used to describe a situation with a large amount of administrative documentation. While appropriate for many contexts, Ludwig AI indicates that more formal alternatives like "extensive documentation" or "significant administrative burden" may be preferred in professional settings. Analysis reveals its prevalence in News & Media and academic spheres, highlighting its broad applicability. When using this phrase, consider the target audience and the level of formality required. Be aware that while perfectly correct, in some circumstances, more professional terms can be more appropriate.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

extensive documentation

Replaces "lots of" with "extensive", focusing on the comprehensive nature of the paperwork.

a great deal of administrative work

More formal variation focusing on administrative aspects.

plenty of forms

Replaces "paperwork" with "forms", emphasizing the individual documents involved.

numerous documents to complete

Rephrases to emphasize the action of completing the paperwork.

voluminous records

Emphasizes the sheer number of records involved in the paperwork.

tons of forms

A more emphatic and informal synonym referring to a large quantity of forms.

a mountain of documents

Uses a metaphor to describe the large quantity of paperwork.

excessive red tape

Focuses on the bureaucratic and often unnecessary aspect of paperwork.

extensive filing

Highlights the activity of organizing and storing the many documents.

significant administrative burden

Highlights the workload and responsibility associated with paperwork.

FAQs

How can I use "lots of paperwork" in a sentence?

You can use "lots of paperwork" to describe a situation where there's a large amount of administrative documentation involved. For example, "Applying for the grant involved "lots of paperwork"."

What are some alternatives to "lots of paperwork"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "extensive documentation", "significant administrative burden", or "excessive red tape".

Is it better to say "a lot of paperwork" or "lots of paperwork"?

Both "a lot of paperwork" and "lots of paperwork" are grammatically correct and commonly used. The choice often comes down to personal preference, although "lots of" can sometimes sound slightly more informal.

What does "excessive red tape" mean compared to "lots of paperwork"?

"Lots of paperwork" simply refers to a large quantity of documents. "Excessive red tape", on the other hand, implies that the paperwork is unnecessarily complicated and bureaucratic.