a couple of time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a couple of time" is not correct in English.
The correct form is "a couple of times." You can use it when referring to two or a few instances of something occurring. Example: "I have visited that museum a couple of times this year."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

"At a couple of time trials recently I've gone out way too hard and paid the price.

The Guardian - Sport

The verdict: "For 60 per cent of the time things we even but then a couple of time the scrum went backwards".

The Guardian - Sport

TIME, DOMESTIC -- With all that fancy equipment, one would think airlines could have flight attendants announce the exact time as the plane touches down after carrying you through a couple of time zones.

The New York Times

It may happen that one or two concepts disappear from the discourse, but the relatively strong agenda-setting component always reinvigorates them after a couple of time steps.

Computational Social Networks

All these scenarios require heavy networking: Vital data or data about your residental behavior crosses the Internet a couple of time, i. e., rather private data is available in the generally accessible Internet.

EURASIP Journal on Information Security

In this particular situation, the Webapp2 often gets low load, thus has a load profile as in Fig. 5 with 50 virtual users who try to send HTTP GET requests to the Webapp2 and then "think" a couple of time randomly.

Vietnam Journal of Computer Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

A couple of times a year".

The New Yorker

Sometimes a couple of times a day".

The New York Times

He missed, a couple of times.

The New York Times - Magazine

I've been a couple of times.

Independent

"I walked away a couple of times.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "a couple of times" instead of "a couple of time" to ensure grammatical correctness. This simple change significantly improves clarity and credibility.

Common error

Avoid using "a couple of time" in formal writing. This is a common mistake arising from the incorrect omission of the plural 's' in "times". Always double-check for proper pluralization in similar phrases.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a couple of time" functions as an adverbial phrase, attempting to modify a verb by indicating frequency. However, it's grammatically incorrect, as noted by Ludwig AI, requiring the plural form "times" to be accurate.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Wiki

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "a couple of time" appears in various contexts, including news and media, it's grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI highlights that the correct form is "a couple of times". This small grammatical error significantly impacts the phrase's suitability for formal writing. Using alternatives such as "a few times" or "several times" can help maintain clarity and credibility. Remember to always double-check for proper pluralization to avoid this common mistake.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a couple of times

Adds the plural 's' to 'time', correcting the grammatical structure to indicate multiple instances.

a few times

Replaces "couple" with "few", indicating a small but indefinite number of occurrences.

several times

Uses "several" to suggest more than a couple but still a limited number of instances.

on a few occasions

Rephrases the idea using "occasions" instead of "times", providing a more formal tone.

a handful of times

Indicates a small quantity of times, implying it can be counted easily.

in a couple of instances

Substitutes "instances" for "times", offering a slightly more formal alternative.

a couple of instances

Replaces "times" with "instances", which refers to specific occurrences or examples.

twice

Specifies the exact number of occurrences as two.

on two occasions

Replaces "couple" with the explicit "two", specifying the exact number of occurrences and using the word "occasions".

a couple of moments

Focuses on specific, short periods instead of general occurrences, shifting the meaning slightly to emphasize brevity.

FAQs

How do I correctly use the phrase "a couple of time"?

The correct phrase is "a couple of times". The phrase "a couple of time" is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrase, "a couple of times", indicates that something has occurred on two or a few occasions.

What's the difference between "a couple of time" and "a couple of times"?

"A couple of time" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "a couple of times", which is used to describe something happening two or a few times.

Can I use "a couple of time" in informal writing?

While "a couple of time" might be understood in very informal contexts, it's best to avoid it. Using the correct phrase, "a couple of times", ensures clarity and avoids grammatical errors, even in informal writing.

What are some alternatives to using "a couple of times"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "a few times", "several times", or "on a few occasions" to express a similar meaning.