Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Marrion]

I want to know wheter "a couple of" is used with "uncoutable nouns".

If it is used with "uncountable nouns", which ones must it be used with "plural verbs", or "singular verbs"?


And

When "a coulple of" is used with "plural nouns", which ones must it be used with "plural verbs", or "singular verbs"?

[1] A couple of days (is/are) all I need to complete this report.
[2] "A couple of dollars (is/are)......
[3] A couple of customers (have/has) reported a shortage in their orders.

In these sentences, which one is correct?

[Mister Micawber]

.
A couple of is a phrasal quantifier meaning a few, an indefinite small number of. As such, it works only with countable nouns.

It normally takes the plural verb, except in the occasional case (as with money or time), in which it may represent a sum total. These are correct:

[1] A couple of days is/are all I need to complete this report.
[2] "A couple of dollars is/are......
[3] A couple of customers have reported a shortage in their orders.

4-- There are a couple of things wrong with your argument.
5-- A couple of minutes is/are all I need to explain the point.
.
_________________
"I really do not know that anything has ever been more exciting than diagramming sentences." � Gertrude Stein
...............
Canadian-American who teaches English for a living at Mr Micawber's

[Marrion]

Thank you very much.^0^//

[Marrion]

If so..

Must "a group of" be just used with "plural nouns"?

[Mister Micawber]

.
I suppose so. What did I say before about a group of?-- I' ve forgotten.
.
_________________
"I really do not know that anything has ever been more exciting than diagramming sentences." � Gertrude Stein
...............
Canadian-American who teaches English for a living at Mr Micawber's

[Marrion]