Common Mistakes : Deal
Deal – Noun
BAD: We have received a great deal of complaints
GOOD: We have received a large number of complaints
BAD: English contains a great deal of words
GOOD: English contains a great many words
BAD: A great deal of countries have already signed the agreement
GOOD: Many countries have already signed the agreement
a great/good deal of + uncountable noun: ‘a great deal of money/time/pleasure
a large number of + plural count noun: ‘a large number of coins/cars/tourists
a great/good many + plural count noun: ‘This operation has already saved the lives of a great many people
When there is no need to emphasize the size of the number, use many or (especially in informal styles) a lot of : ‘Many people have stopped smoking
Verb
BAD: We have to find a new way of dealing crime
GOOD: We have to find a new way of dealing with crime
BAD: I don’t have enough time to deal all the questions
GOOD: I don’t have enough time to deal with all the questions
deal with a problem or situation that requires action or attention: ‘Customer complaints are dealt with by Mr Adams.’ ‘How should the government deal with the AIDS crisis