a couple of documents

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a couple of documents" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to two or a few documents in a casual or informal context. Example: "I need to review a couple of documents before the meeting tomorrow."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

Often it is just a couple of documents, like expense reports.

The New York Times - Tech

(Here are a couple of documents from Viking Global Equities, a big hedge fund based in Greenwich).

The New Yorker

When I was in narcotics you'd usually have maybe a half-inch folder with maybe some lab reports, some notes, a couple of documents, a couple of supplementary reports, and that was an A1 felony.

The New York Times

We haven't decided yet what we're going to post, we think a couple of documents.

TechCrunch

They will scan your ID, make you sign a couple of documents, and you will leave with a temporary debit card.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

No prospective employer wants to think that you've just pinged off a couple of existing documents willy-nilly, without any thought as to how they fit together, or how you fit with what that employer is specifically needing.

The Guardian

As a result of this guidance, a few years ago due to my mom's age and health, a couple of legal documents were executed; the first is an "Advance Healthcare Directive" and the second is a "Do Not Resuscitate (DNR)" order.

Huffington Post

Since our datasets are relatively small with at most a couple of thousands of documents, we apply the fivefold cross validation, which divides a dataset into five portions: four of them are used for training and the remaining one for testing, and then these portions are rotated to get a total of five F measures.

Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences

Cattermole's return to the first team fold coincided with the players' revolt that unseated Di Canio from the manager's chair at the Stadium of Light in September, while Bardsley crossed him on a couple of well documented occasions.

The Guardian - Sport

In 1966 a couple of psychologists documented brief involuntary expressions that lasted a fraction of a second that they proposed correlated to specific emotions.

Huffington Post

A couple of DVDs documenting another of his major influences, western swing pioneer Bob Wills, occupy the lower shelf of the coffee table in front of him.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a couple of documents" when you want to indicate a small, approximate number (around two) without being overly precise. It adds a touch of informality to your writing.

Common error

While "a couple of documents" is acceptable in many situations, avoid using it in highly formal or academic writing where precise language is preferred. Instead, opt for "two documents" or "several documents" depending on the exact number or intended meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a couple of documents" functions as a determiner phrase modifying the noun "documents". It specifies an approximate quantity. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a couple of documents" is a grammatically sound and commonly used phrase to indicate a small quantity of documents, typically around two. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability in written English. While versatile, it's best suited for neutral to informal contexts, with news and media being its most frequent domain. For more formal or technical writing, alternatives like "two documents" or "several documents" may be more appropriate to maintain precision and formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a few documents

Indicates a small, indefinite number of documents, similar to "a couple of documents" but potentially implying slightly more than two.

two documents

Specifically states the number of documents, removing any ambiguity.

a pair of documents

Emphasizes that there are exactly two documents, similar to "two documents".

several documents

Suggests more than "a couple", implying a small but unspecified quantity of documents.

a handful of documents

Indicates a small quantity of documents, emphasizing ease of handling or management.

some documents

A more general term indicating an unspecified number of documents.

a set of documents

Implies the documents belong together and form a unit.

a limited number of documents

Highlights the restriction on the quantity of documents.

a small collection of documents

Suggests the documents are part of a group assembled for a specific purpose.

a selection of documents

Implies a curated or chosen set of documents.

FAQs

How can I use "a couple of documents" in a sentence?

You can use "a couple of documents" to refer to a small number of documents, typically two. For example, "I need to review "a couple of documents" before the meeting."

What can I say instead of "a couple of documents"?

Alternatives include "a few documents", "several documents", or "two documents", depending on the desired level of precision.

Is it more appropriate to say "a couple documents" or "a couple of documents"?

"A couple of documents" is the grammatically correct and widely accepted form. "A couple documents" omits the preposition "of" and is not standard English.

When is it best to avoid using "a couple of documents"?

Avoid using "a couple of documents" in formal or technical writing where precise language is essential. In such contexts, using "two documents" or another more specific term would be more appropriate.