lots 不单独用的,lots of＝a lot of 后面接可数名词和不可数名词均可,接可数名词时谓语用复数,接不可数名词时,谓语用单数.
a lot 当然不是名词性短语了,而是副词性短语,修饰动词.比如：Thanks a lot.= Thanks very much.
再比如：I know him a lot.
plenty of 和以上lots of 和a lot of相似,后面接可数名词和不可数名词均可,接可数名词时谓语用复数,接不可数名词时,谓语用单数.
much 只能修饰不可数名词
many 只能修饰可数名词复数
a lot of是口语中极常用的表示“许多、大量”的词组,它可以修饰任何复数名词,相当于many和much(多用于书面语).lots of=a lot of
此外,还有许多词组可以表示不确定的数量:
plenty of丰富;充足;大量(可修饰任何复数名词)
He has plenty of humorous stories to tell.他有许多幽默故事可讲.
Make sure there's plenty of food for everyone.要确保每个人都有充足的食物.
a great/good deal of大量的(只可修饰不可数名词)
A great deal of work awaits me.许多工作等着我去做.
a great/good many很多(只可修饰复数可数名词)
There are a good many people in the hall.大厅里有很多人.(注意：people是集合名词,单数复数同形,它所表示的数量要根据实际情况推测.)
a number of的意思是“一些”,相当于some,如果要表示许多的意思,就要加上一个“强语势形容词”large(只可修饰复数可数名词)
A large number of people have left.很多人都走了.
heaps of口语中表达许多、大量的又一种方法(只可修饰不可数名词)
I have heaps of work to do.我有一大堆工作要做.
由于a lot of表达“许多”的意思,而后面的evidence却用单数,可以推知evidence是不可数名词.
There is a lot of evidence that jealousy is linked to long-term love.许多证据表明嫉妒和感情持久有关系.这句话的语态是被动语态,that引导的名词从句that jealousy is linked to long-term love对前面的evidence做进一步的补充和说明.
下面这个句子比较长,我们先看动词look at,原意是“看”,这里要理解为“调查”.宾语是jealousy scores(嫉妒指数),后面的of couples in university做jealousy scores的定语,连起来意思就是：大学里情侣们的嫉妒指数.人们把这种指数和几年以后他们的marriage status(婚姻状况)联系在一起,就得出了以下的结论.(注：人们的婚姻状况分为三种：单身single,已婚married和离婚divorced.)
It was found that couples that scored higher on the jealousy test were more likely to marry eventually.这是我们以前讲过的it做形式主语的情况,还记得它的作用吗?当真正的主语较长时,为了避免头重脚轻就用it做形式主语,它的形式是这样的：it＋不及物动词＋从句.这个句子的真正主语就是that引导的名词从句that couples that scored higher on the jealousy test were more likely to marry eventually,这个从句里有两个that,第一个引导整个名词从句,第二个that引导的是定语从句that scored higher on the jealousy test,修饰that前面的先行词couples,翻译是要翻译成couples的定语,意思是：那些在测试中得分较高的情侣,这些情侣会怎么样呢?回头再看名词从句that couples were more likely to marry eventually,情侣们最终很有可能会结婚.在把情侣的定语加上去,连起来翻译一下,就是：在嫉妒测验中得分较高的情侣结婚的可能性较大.
People who flirt outside of their existing relationship often use jealousy in two main ways.这个句子里也包含一个定语从句,who flirt outside of their existing relationship修饰people,那些和自己现在情侣以外的人调情的人,这些人常会在两个方面利用嫉妒.他们是怎么做的呢?First,他们test对方,the strength of their partner's feelings for them“对方感受的强度”,靠什么方法呢?这里用介词by来引导,后面接动名词measuring their reactions“观测他们的反映”.连起来就是：第一,他们借此观察伴侣的反应来考查对方对自己感情的深浅.Second, they indicate their potential他们暗示他们的可能性,什么样的可能性呢?动词不定式to replace partners修饰potential,即“换伴侣的可能性”.对谁是这种可能性呢?当然是对那些who do not live up to their expectations的人了.live up to是“实践,不辜负”的意思,每个人都应该做到：You must live up to your promise.你必须实践自己的诺言.整句话的意思就是：第二,他们对伴侣暗示如果达不到他们的期望,他们就有可能被取代.
最后这句话This is because the person who feels unloved will often feel better with the flattery of a husband or wife who shows a bit of jealous interest.我们也可以用刚才的方法来分析.主语the person谓语will feel better,由who引导的定语从句who feels unloved做the person的定语,意思是“感到不被爱的人”,是什么使他们feel better呢?with这里的意思是“由于,因此”,后面解释了原因：the flattery,赞美,恭维.谁的恭维呢?with the flattery of a husband or wife丈夫或妻子的恭维,又一个定语从句：who shows a bit of jealous interest做a husband or wife的定语,意思是：那些表现出一点醋意的丈夫或妻子的恭维.整个句子的意思整理如下：因为如果丈夫或妻子能够表现出一点嫉妒,感觉不到爱的另一方会因此认为得到了对方的赞美.
