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I just want to know whether this sentence is correct: "method A introduces a lot of variety in the structure of X"

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  • Yes, it's a very general quantifier of the amount of variety.
    – Mike
    Commented Apr 17, 2015 at 17:50
  • You can say "a little", "a lot", "a whole boatload" -- whatever.
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Apr 17, 2015 at 18:40

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Some people would dislike it, but the usage is accurate since variety is quantifiable - a little or small variety would be a few different things, versus a lot of variety or a large variety which would mean many different things.

A small variety of flowers would be, perhaps: roses, daisies, sunflowers.

A lot of variety in flowers (say selection at a garden house) might be: roses, daises, sunflowers, daffodils, tulips, rhododendrons, and more.

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It seems the consensus is that 'a lot of variety' is technically correct but perhaps too informal. I wonder whether it makes sense to describe a structure as having variety - isn't it the elements of the structure that would be varied? Otherwise, you might say the structure is intricate or ornate. Here's another suggestion: Method A introduces more variation to the structural components of X.

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