ENGLISH
REFERENCE

or two

fixed phr..
B1 Intermediate Oxford

fixed phr.. you use this after a number or a time word to mean 'approximately' or 'a few'. it suggests that the exact amount is not very important.

fixed phr.. an idiomatic post-modifier used to indicate an approximate or slightly larger quantity than the preceding noun; functions as a hedge to soften a specific number.


SIMPLE

I will be ready in a minute or two.

CONTEXTUAL

We should probably buy a bottle or two of wine for the dinner party tonight.

COMPLEX

The author spent a decade or two refining the manuscript before she felt it was ready for a global audience.

Usage

always follows a singular noun or a number, most commonly 'a [noun] or two'.

Teaching tip

this is a common way for native speakers to sound less precise and more casual; it almost always follows the pattern 'a/an + [singular noun] + or two'.

Pitfall

I need two or three or two books.I need a book or two.the phrase 'or two' is a fixed addition to a singular noun, not a way to list multiple specific numbers.

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