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Oct 28, 2006 · There is a couple (two persons with a relationship) standing over there. There are a couple of new books I'd like to read. In the ladder case, you can't say There is a couple of books I'd like to read. The subject of that sentence is books, not couple! You could also replace "a couple of" by "some": There are some new books I'd like to read.
Oct 22, 2021 · I would never use “the couple is” in British English. I find it unbelievably weird, especially in statements such as “the couple is kissing” or “the couple was to be separated or divorced 3 years later”! But that’s not to say that there aren’t lots of other “collective” nouns that can take either a singular or a plural verb.
Feb 25, 2010 · When a couple means simply two and refers to two non-animate entities, it combines with the plural form of the third person present tense: A couple of places are said to be haunted at the university. A couple of houses are turned into little museums. A couple of cars are parked outside. Best Regards,
Oct 25, 2018 · Oct 25, 2018. #2. A couple - two people "living as one", such a man and his wife - will generally be treated as singular (a married couple is entitled to certain tax breaks) A couple also just means "two" and in these cases is plural. (a couple of tigers are chasing me) In your example I think we can assume we are talking about a "man+wife ...
Jun 1, 2017 · A couple of" always means "two of" and is plural. Thank you all very much. Oxford and Merriam-Webster say that "a couple of" can mean "two" or "a few" (more than two). I found here and on the Web that "there is (informal)/there are (standard) a couple of apples on the table" can mean either (a) "there are two (a couple of) apples on the table ...
Jul 6, 2006 · It's okay to drop the 'of' in American English. To me "a couple of days" and "a couple days" are interchangeable, but for some reason, "a couple hundred" sounds better than "a couple of hundred". I have no idea why! Although, after further reflection, "a couple'a hundred" (where the 'of' is reduced to 'a' [pronounced "uh"] and suffixed onto ...
Apr 14, 2009 · I have lots of American friends who say and write "couple hours" and yes, it may not sound that odd to say it, especially if you're speaking fast, but it does look weird when you read it. Like it's already been said, the correct way to say it is "a couple of hours" but a lot of people, specially Americans, drop the preposition "of".
Sep 26, 2016 · "A couple of bucks" means two or three dollars. This is an idiom which, as Myridon explains, means that the thing referred to is essentially without value. A couple of bucks by itself will get you a cup of coffee, so if a couple of bucks plus being beautiful and having a great voice will still get you just a cup of coffee, then being beautiful and having a great voice is clearly not worth very ...
Jun 4, 2009 · Jun 4, 2009. #2. You will hear both ways. Grammatically it is singular, but because the concept is plural, it is extremely common to hear people use the plural. (Even in your example, "their" is used, not "its", because "its" would sound really strange.) I think some people would consider the use of the plural incorrect, but I personally think ...
May 6, 2012 · A couple - usually and mainly two, never less than two, but sometimes, 'not more than about 5%' of the total. A couple is very small relative to the total number possible. A few - a distinct minority, it is slightly more than a couple but probably less than 15% of the total. A few is small relative to the total number possible.
