Hey there… On IELTS Speaking Test, it is often the case that most students of mine often say 'a lot of ' or 'lots of’. I’m not saying these are 'bad' words. All I’m trying to say is you can use better high-scoring phrases or words. Why not an 'awful lot of' or 'a whole lot of'? You can use either of these two phrases. That's going to go a long way. So for instance, I might say: 'I have a whole lot of problems in life.' Or 'I've got an awful lot of things to take care of.' That’s it. . "a whole lot" 1- very much: He didn't like them a whole lot. 2- a large number: I said no, for a whole lot of reasons. . "an awful lot" 1- A very large amount; a great deal. We've had an awful lot of letters. .