the following do not exist "should of", "could of", "would of"

[activate]

the word you are stretching for is "have"

should have

could have

would have

Yanbu

I agree

Yeah! You tell 'em. I couldn't of put it better myself.

YANBU

[cgrin]

YANBU

Though, that said, it's easy to see where it comes from - "should've" does sound quite like should of.

People should read more.

Tidey - I hope that was irony

Finally! someone with the balls to say it!

MissAnthrope

What about, coulda, woulda, shoulda?

OH god change your user name to the grammar police. Yawn.

Yaddnbu! It drives me mad!

Agreed. Thank you very much.

in the words of Henry Higgins 'Why can't the English learn how to speak?'

Yes we know , Its been pointed out several hundred times before

this thread is done every month or so and they never listen.

My advice is to develop special eyes. I have them. They convert words like that before they reach my brain. So AIBU - "that he should of said something" is taken in by my special eyes and tells my brain that it just read AIBU - "to think that he should have said something"

That way I can offer advice / opinion / chat without bothering myself about it.

killing is too good for people who use those phrases.

This used to really annoy me but I'm starting to rethink.

Language changes over time, and there's no reason why we couldn't use 'could of'. Maybe in a few years it will be the correct usage (or at least a valid alternative).

Never mind that. Just teach people the difference between 'loose' and 'lose' and I'll be a very happy woman

They're, there and their winds me up too.

They're. Their. There.

When you think about it - and let's not take this as putting people down - why don't people know this? Language is taught. We are not born knowing it. So WHY don't people know that it is should HAVE, not should OF. Why don't people know that they're is they are and different from their or there. These are pretty basic things.

Is this a parental failure? A failure of the education system? What's the reason?

x-post, surreydad.

Agree. That's all.

I agree.

I bloody hate that.

Reason: some people are fick.

You're not wrong.

Note You're not wrong. Not your.

It's partly about how your parents talk to you at home or whoever you are most in touch with and then the influence of school.

As a year 6 teacher I try to drum into my children the rules of grammar, should have and double negatives being the bane of my life! Unfortunately, as children say "should of" ( actually they usually say shuda!) it is incredibly difficult to ensure they write it correctly!