Are there any differences between the uses/meanings of "is lack" and "is a lack" for example in the following?
There is a lack of interest in the topic.
There is lack of research on the subject.
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Does this help answer your question? – Andy Bonner Sep 28 '21 at 15:59
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1For whatever it's worth, despite "lack" being a word that sometimes does and sometimes does not get an article, "there is lack" of something sounds completely wrong to me, coming from the U.S. I think you need an "a" here in all cases. – cruthers Sep 28 '21 at 17:47
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the andy bonner link does answer my question – redappleone Sep 28 '21 at 19:04
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I'd not call this a count usage. *'There are 3 lacks of interest in the class.' However, as has been discussed earlier, the use of the indefinite article is not confined to count usages. 'He took a pride in his appearance' / 'She received a fine education in the sciences' / 'A dappled light illuminated the clearing.' //// 'A lack of' is a fixed phrase, so as @cruthers says, dropping the article sounds off. – Edwin Ashworth Sep 30 '21 at 18:14