Which is correct? There are a couple of books I want to read. OR...There are a couple books I want to read.?

Question

Please provide a reason for the correct one.

Answer 1

A couple of. Can't provide a reason other than that it's just English grammar. If you are using a number (there are two books) you don't need to say "of."

Any time you measure you use of. For example, a cup of tea, a box of pencils, etc. Say those without "of" and it will sound just as wrong as "a couple books."

Answer 2

The first sentence is the correct one. A couple of is an idiomatic expression which actually means two or a pair. A couple of books means two books. This makes sense since two people married to each other are referred to as a couple. So it is correct to say There are a couple of books I want to read or there are two books I want to read. Never say "There are a couple books I want to read." It doesn't sound right, but more importantly, it is simply incorrect.

Answer 3

There are a couple books I want to read.
There are a few books I want to read
There are many books I want to read.
There are two books I want to read.

These all say basically the same thing. Take the of out. The reason it sounds so good to this many people is because it has become the norm.

Answer 4

"of books" is a prepositional phrase modifying "couple" and telling us what the couple consists of. When couple is not conditioned, then in English is assumed to mean a pair of people, usually in a relationship, usually male and female in the past.
the only time colloquial English would accept the missing "of" is when the phrase is modified to "coupla books" where the "a" is standing for something like "couple o' books", just as "twelve o'clock" stands for "twelve of the clock"

Answer 5

A pair of shoes, a gaggle of geese, a team of soccer players, a pack of wild dogs, a couple of people, a couple of pants, a couple of books. OR a pair shoes, a gaggle geese, a team soccer players, a pack wild dogs, a couple people, a couple pants, a couple books. Do you want a box of candy or a box candy? Do you want a pair of pants or a pair pants. Do you want a cup of coffee or a cup coffee? The reason is to not sound like a caveman or retarded.

Answer 6

there are a couple of books i want to read..it just sounds right

Answer 7

There are a couple of books I want to read.*OF,key word*

Answer 8

"There are a couple of books I want to read." is grammatically correct. The preposition "of" links the noun "book" with the adjective "couple".

Answer 9

it's the first one, your making a statement that you want to read a couple of books so it would end with a period and you're not asking a question

Answer 10

There are a couple of books I want to read.
There are a couple books I want to read.

Both seem grammatically correct to me. But if I have to reason, I would say the second, because this is my logic.


There are two of books I want to read.
There are two books I want to read.

But can't you say, "a couple of"? Again, both seem correct.