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I have a lot of pens

I have lots of pens

What is the difference? I do not see any difference but as per my teacher there is a difference which till date I am unable to understand

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    There is no semantic difference, but there is a grammatical difference: singular "lot", but not plural "lots", takes "a" as determiner and allows a limited amount of premodification (I have a whole lot of pens).
    – BillJ
    Commented Feb 1, 2019 at 8:59

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If they want to get really detailed, a lot means a specific amount--lot being the amount.

Say pen boxes come in sets, or lots, of 10. If you have a lot, you have 10.

To me, I have lots of pens means you have some amount of pens that is great in amount.

I think, however, people use these statements equally. And, in my opinion, I like the second one more because it uses less words, making it quicker to read.

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