Would of

[Myfabby]

Why is this now so rampant and acceptable? How did have get subsituted for this.

Would of makes no sense whatseover, so WHY?

Usage changes. See Latin plurals.

But I agree with you.

Because we say “would’ve” and that sounds like “would of”.

God it's painful isn't it. I am finding myself shouting "Have" !! in my head when reading stuff. When I was recently reading comments on Fb regarding NB death, every person seems to use "Of"..

It comes from "would've".

I agree it's annoying.

Woulda, shoulda, coulda.
Sorry ...

I admit to correcting anyone who says would of. English is not even my.First launguage...

I also correct pacific when they mean specific..

Drives me crazy too op.

The how is easy. It's people who mis-hear would've as would of. How they get through their entire childhood of education and still don't work it out, I can't say.

While we're here -

Brought - the past tense of bring
Bought - the past tense of buy

Both words exist, people, and they're not interchangeable.

Your not being unreasonable

lol

There is a Pedants' Corner somewhere around here.

One of my best friend's text messages are full of things that would turn your hair white the grammar and spelling are so shocking. One of the most loyal and kind people I've ever met. Grammar and spelling aren't everything.

YANBU. It’s painful

It's actually my job to correct people's English. English is a really hard language. I don't judge people for mistakes. They're just writing it the way they hear it.

It’s the prostrate cancer that I find annoying. I just grit my teeth. I think that a lot of people don’t read books either. Chester draws too.

I think native speakers are more likely to make these kind of mistakes because they learnt to speak the language before they learnt to write it.

I, as a non-native speaker, learnt to write it first so the difference between have and of really stands out to me - and yes, it does make my eyes bleed.
(obviously as a non-native speaker I make other mistakes that native speakers wouldn't make).

Would of isn't the only one, there's also then/than, they're/their, etc.

I have noticed that, as I grow more and more comfortable with the language, I am more likely to mistype you're/your, etc.

But personally my pet peeve isn't even a mistake, it's the use of & instead of "and". I mean, it's a three-letter word, how lazy do you have to be to not be willing to actually write it down ?!
(to clarify : yes, I know I'm being unfair and there's nothing wrong with using the symbol. But it still makes me grind my teeth every time I see it).

They don't understand the grammar of 'would have' which underlies the correct form.

I'm guilty of this and a lot of other spelling and gammer rules, combination of it sounds the exact same to me and learning difficulties. I love to read but still I always get tripped up by the wheres/weres/wears, of/have and others.