Representing being and having

Students' problems

page 6 of 7

Problems with lack

Students encounter a number of problems when using lack as a verb.

Many students use the verb lack followed by of. However, lack is transitive and therefore should be followed by an object without a preposition:

Since Hong Kong lacks of natural resources, she cannot produce any primary products, such as crops. (TeleNex Students)

If the mass media lack of modern technology, how can we receive news from other countries?(TeleNex Students)

The verb lack is rare in continuous tenses, as it usually describes a state, rather than something temporary:

First of all, I am sure foreigners feel Hong Kong people are generally lacking courtesy. (TeleNex Students)

First of all, I am sure foreigners feel Hong Kong people generally lack courtesy.

Very commonly students make both these errors, ie they use lack in the continuous followed by of :

As the Social Welfare Department at Shun Lee Estate is lacking of voluntary workers, I think it needs great help from the community.
(TeleNex Students)

As the Social Welfare Department at Shun Lee Estate lacks voluntary workers, I think it needs great help from the community.

For further information about lack, see Representing being and having: Using have and other possessive verbs (p 8).

Introduction
Ungrammatical use of there be
Overuse of there are…who
Underuse of have to describe things
 Problems with have
 Problems with lack
 Problems with linking verbs