Lesson Eight
Funnily enough, I haven’t seen this mistake yet, but I’m quite sure it’s out there. There’s actually more trouble with writers not separating the word ‘a lot (two words: a and lot)’, instead just making it into one infuriating word. I blame the education system, because teachers are just letting seven-year-olds get away with saying it (because they think it's oh-so-cuuuute!), thereby dumbing down future doctors, lawyers, and government officials.
Or maybe it’s that shifty Barney fellow…
Nevertheless, allot is a verb that means to divide or distribute by share or portion, to set apart, dedicate, or to appropriate for a special purpose. We’ve all heard phrases like ‘allotted time’ which means the designated or selected amount of time to do something. Many people allot money to charities: a fixed or prearranged sum of money they’ve decided to donate. It really is a word not often seen, but sometimes young writers mistake it for the correct spelling of ‘a lot’.
Now, a lot we’ve probably seen since childhood, usually used to place emphasis on the word ‘like’. I like pizza a lot. I like watching movies a lot. I like recess a lot. I like the color blue a lot. My mom takes a lot of medication. We’ve all either said this at one point in our lives, or we’ve heard it. Odds are we’re still saying it (I really do like pizza, movies, and the color blue … a lot). A lot is an adverb meaning to a very great degree, very many, very much, a great deal, and very many people misspell it by bunching the words together. An eight-year-old, I can handle, but if you’ve read books with more than 50 pages in them, there’s no excuse. And if your Language Arts or English teacher doesn’t correct her/himself or you or a friend, let ‘em know. Trust me: you’re doing the next generation a favor.
Ex. 1: The recommended daily allotment of calories varies for individuals depending on factors including height, weight, age, and sex. I suggest at least an apple with that morning coffee.
Ex. 2: Professors make sure all college students are aware of the severe consequences of not taking their final exams during the allotted times.
Ex. 3: Every time her dog, Waffles, spent a lot of time by himself, Sarah noticed a great deal of that time was spent destroying his toys.
Ex. 4: Though there are a lot of different sweets to choose from, most people would admit they enjoy chocolate more than any other sweet.
So, allot and a lot.
'Nuff said.
