Word
lack of
Definition
prepositional phrase. a situation where you do not have enough of something or have none at all.
prepositional phrase. a state of being without or having an insufficient quantity of something; functions as a complex noun phrase head or prepositional complement.
Examples
“The project failed because of a lack of money.”
“Many plants die during the summer months due to a lack of water and extreme heat.”
“The committee cited a lack of transparency in the procurement process as the primary reason for the investigation's commencement.”
Examples
simple
“The project failed because of a lack of money.”
contextual
“Many plants die during the summer months due to a lack of water and extreme heat.”
complex
“The committee cited a lack of transparency in the procurement process as the primary reason for the investigation's commencement.”
Usage
usually follows 'a' and is followed by a noun representing the missing item.
Teaching tip
help students distinguish between the noun 'lack' (followed by 'of') and the verb 'lack' (which takes a direct object with no preposition).
Pitfall
They lack of the necessary skills.
They lack the necessary skills.
the verb 'lack' is transitive and does not take 'of'; only the noun form requires the preposition.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/lack-of