Its smallness seems to be relative: a quick check of our citation files reveals that the phrase a couple of years ago has been used to refer to everything from one year and change to eight years, though most of the time the phrase seems to be used of three or four years (when we can verify dates).
Is a couple 2 or 3?
3 Answers. Excellent question! The short (and rather unhelpful) answer is that while technically, a couple does in fact mean two, it is not always used that way in practice and if you ask several native speakers you’re likely to get different responses.
How do you use couple years in a sentence?
I stopped attending Mass for a couple of years. We’ve been working on it for a couple of years. I’ve known Sheryl for a couple of years. He’d been playing football for a couple of years.
Is 2 years a few years?
Generally longer than 2 years and less than 20, but it’s all relative (especially when speaking with your relatives). I would say that a few years ago (with or without the now) is about three to seven years ago, whereas a fair few years ago is more than that, maybe more in the range you had in mind.
Can 3 be a couple?
Two is a couple and more than two or three is several. If you eat four donuts you can say you had several but you may have had too many especially if you get a stomach-ache. Several is a word that shows size or number when you can’t be specific or when you want to summarize.
Is it a couple years ago or a couple of years ago?
In formal and informal English, a couple of can be used with a plural noun, or with an adjective + plural noun, as in these examples: a couple of times (= approximately two times) a couple of years ago (= approximately two years ago)
Is a few 3 or 4?
Actually, no. While many people would agree that a few means three or more, the actual dictionary definition of a few is, not many but more than one. So, a few cannot be one, but it can be as low as two.
How long is a couple of weeks?
The court had to determine the definition of a couple of weeks. NFC argued that a couple is two and each week has seven days, so a couple of weeks means exactly 14 days.
Is a few 4?
Some insisted a few meant three and only three. Some said it meant three or four. Or maybe more. The answer is that there is no hard-and-fast answer.
What is another word for many years?
What is another word for many years?
| ages | decades |
|---|---|
| centuries | donkey’s years |
| long time | very long time |
| years | years on end |
| yonks | eternity |
What does over the past couple of years mean?
couple noun (SOME) two or a few things that are similar or the same, or two or a few people who are in some way connected: The doctor said my leg should be better in a couple of days. A couple of people objected to the proposal, but the vast majority approved of it. … She’ll be retiring in a couple more years.
Is it correct to say the couple is or the couple are?
But, think about it: couple is actually a singular noun, so you should use a singular verb. A couple is one thing, not two things. So couple is singular. The plural form is couples.
Is 2 years a long time in a relationship?
Long-term relationships tend to last anywhere from two to three years, with couples breaking up around this time. Not surprisingly, this is when many couples experience the oxytocin dip and feel less infatuated with each other. They may begin to notice relational issues that bother them or feel unresolvable.
Is it since or for years?
We use since with a point in time in the past. For refers to periods of time, e.g. 3 years, 4 hours, ages, a long time, months, years.
What is the meaning of 1 year ago?
For example, if something happened one year ago, it is one year since it happened. If it happened a long time ago, it is a long time since it happened.
What does it mean to 4 5 someone?
They are expected to number the pages of their homework assignments in that fashion (4/5 means page four out of five).
How many is multiple?
Other definitions for multi (2 of 2) a combining form meaning many, much, multiple, many times, more than one, more than two, composed of many like parts, in many respects, used in the formation of compound words: multiply; multivitamin.
What is a Throuple relationship?
A throuple, which is a mix of the words couple and three, is a romantic relationship between three people, in which every person is intimately linked with the other two. … Throuples can be just as committed to one another as couples, despite lacking legal frameworks to recognize their relationships.
Why do we say couple of?
The word couple literally means two, but it is often used to mean an indefinite small number. So if you were to say, I only have a couple of dollars, you would probably not be called out if you really had three or four.
Is a couple times correct?
The phrase is a couple of times. In conversation (and thus for transcribed speech), people will say a couple uh times, clipping the f from of. The uh is easy to drop, so it becomes a couple times, but will be understood to represent the original.
What is another word for a couple of?
What is another word for a couple of?
| a couple | a few |
|---|---|
| two or three | a small number of |
Does a few mean 2?
While many would agree that few means three or more, the dictionary definition is, not many but more than one. So, a few cannot be one, but it can be as low as two.
What does most mean LSAT?
In some cases, it simply means more than half. While in other cases, it implies that it means more than half but not all. 2:01 On the LSAT, most takes on the more general meaning which is more than half and does not exclude the possibility of all.
How many is a handful?
Frequency: A small quantity, usually approximately equal to five, the number of fingers on a hand.
How long is a couple of months?
Usually, a couple of months are 2 months and a few months are 3 months. Summer vacation is only a couple months (2). Winter lasts a few months (3).
How long is next couple of days?
the next couple of days is a period of more than one day. They are very close in meaning.
What does a couple of days ago mean?
it means 2 days ago A couple usually refers to 2.
Does few mean zero?
A few means some or a handful. Few means virtually none or almost zero. A few connotes not an overwhelmingly large number, but not an insignificantly small number either.
What does several times a day mean?
Several times means more than two, but not unlimited. You can use several times when the number is not undetermined, and not too big. Several times usually means up to six.