there maybe two

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "there maybe two" is not correct in written English.
It should be "there may be two" to indicate the possibility of two items or instances. Example: "In the box, there may be two missing pieces that we need to find."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

"The first couple of years, they went out there maybe two times a year," he said.

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

"There's two more out there, maybe three.

The New Yorker

No? I've been there maybe twelve times.

The New Yorker

I had only moved there maybe three or four weeks before News of the World reporters turned up.

The Guardian

There are 12 games left, there are six teams down there, maybe seven, and we have to play five of them so it's in our hands.

The Guardian - Sport

"We were just standing there, maybe three feet away, having a conversation, and then we heard two more gunshots, and he went down," he told TV cameras outside.

The Guardian

The bald man's wife stood there, maybe five feet tall, with dyed black hair and pink terry cloth slippers.

Vice

To my recollection I was there maybe four times to see Captain Kangaroo, guitarist Theodore Bikel, Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado and the Sleeping Beauty ballet.

Huffington Post

There were very few Americans there — maybe three hundred in all of Egypt.

The New Yorker

Cheesman concluded "how this isn't on the original is beyond me", before adding that there "maybe one extra single [on the deluxe edition of 4]".

Wikipedia

It sat there for maybe two weeks.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When expressing possibility, consider rearranging the sentence to use adverbs like "perhaps" or "possibly" to avoid grammatical errors. For example, use "Perhaps there are two" instead of "There maybe two".

Common error

Avoid using "maybe" directly after "there". "Maybe" is an adverb and doesn't function as an auxiliary verb. Always use "may be", "might be", or "could be" for correct grammar. Incorrect: "There maybe a problem." Correct: "There may be a problem."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "there maybe two" functions as an existential clause aiming to indicate the potential presence of two items or entities. However, it violates standard English grammar rules, as highlighted by Ludwig, requiring correction to "there may be two" or similar grammatically sound alternatives.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Social Media

0%

Reference

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "there maybe two" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in formal writing. As Ludwig AI points out, the correct form is "there may be two" or similar alternatives like "there might be two" or "there could be two". While the intended meaning of expressing possibility is clear, the grammatical error significantly impacts its usability. Despite its rare occurrence in news and media and science contexts, it is crucial to use the correct grammatical structure to maintain clarity and credibility in writing. Always prioritize grammatically sound alternatives for effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

there might be two

Replaces "maybe" with "might be" to correct the grammatical structure while maintaining the meaning of possibility.

there may be two

Replaces "maybe" with "may be" to provide the grammatically correct expression of possibility.

there could be two

Substitutes "maybe" with "could be", offering an alternative expression of potential existence or occurrence.

perhaps there are two

Rearranges the sentence to start with "perhaps" for emphasis, while using the grammatically correct "there are".

possibly there are two

Employs "possibly" instead of "maybe" and corrects the grammatical structure with "there are".

it is possible that there are two

Provides a more formal and explicit expression of possibility, correcting the grammar.

there are potentially two

Uses "potentially" to express the possibility of two items existing, with correct grammar.

it's conceivable that there are two

Expresses possibility in a more formal tone while ensuring grammatical correctness.

two are possibly present

Inverts the sentence structure to highlight the quantity, using "possibly" to indicate uncertainty.

conceivably, there are two

Begins with "conceivably" for emphasis, suggesting a possible scenario with correct grammar.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "there maybe two"?

The grammatically correct way to phrase this is "there "there may be two"", "there "there might be two"", or "there "there could be two"". Using "may be", "might be", or "could be" ensures proper grammar when expressing possibility.

What is the difference between "there maybe two" and "there may be two"?

"There maybe two" is grammatically incorrect. "There may be two" is the correct form, using the auxiliary verb "may" to indicate possibility. "Maybe" is an adverb and cannot function as a verb in this context.

Can I use "maybe" in a sentence with "there are"?

Yes, but not directly after "there". You can say "Maybe there are two", placing "maybe" at the beginning of the sentence. This correctly uses "maybe" as an adverb modifying the entire statement.

What are some alternative ways to express the idea of "there maybe two"?

Alternatives include "perhaps there are two", "possibly there are two", or "it is possible that there are two". These options use different sentence structures to convey the same meaning with correct grammar.