The Oxford English dictionary should add "could of"

[DyslexicScientist]

Everyone knows what it means, and quite a lot of people use it. Just seems very stuffy to not add it. English is an adaptive language.

They've already added omg and a smiliey face was the word of the year. So they are not adverse to change.

"could of" doesn't mean anything, so would be a lot harder to learn for foreigners than the correct version! You need a certain level of practice before being able to willingly butcher a language.

Haven't RTFT.

NO IT SHOULD NOT!

Errr -- a quick check reveals that this meaning of "of" is in my OED....

U kmm

If would've/could've/should've confuses you, why not use would have/could have/should have? You don't have to use the contraction.

Dp and his mum always write could of, would of etc it drives me mad! Lol that's petty isn't it!

Sorry, Alice I should have said my previous post was in response to wasonthelist and not a general response to the OP.

Also, I'm not sure that people understand what the OED is. It describes itself as the definitive RECORD of the English language. It catalogues English usage. It's not the equivalent of the dictionary of the Academie francaise or the Duden - which are prescriptive dictionaries laying down the official correct spellings and usage for French and German respectively. There is no equivalent authority for English (thank god!)

It is incorrect, sloppy speech.

YABU YABU YABU YABU YABU.

I've never felt so strongly about an AIBU before

At moments like this, I stop and ask myself- what would David Crystal say...

David Crystal would agree that "could of" will end up in the OED if it becomes accepted usage in print! "Correct" or otherwise!

OMG NO NO NO NO NO NO.

YABU.

People need correcting!

Exactly, Brian.

And if it's good enough for David...(his quote that I was thinking of was "if it is used, then it is correct")

I find the pomposity on SPaG threads on MN a bit needy tbh. It's all seems so desperate somehow.

It's almost as if the only thing they feel good at is that they know there's still (for the time being, and trust me, it will be the first thing to go...) an R in February.

Wtf, no!

Oh dear God I can't even read the rest of the thread, need to go wash my eyes out.

Sorry to do this to your OP, but I'm going to have to get out my torches and pitch forks now.

Everyone form an orderly line. We're going to burn her at the stake like civilized people here. :)

BumWad Wed 16-Dec-15 18:02:40

U kmm

That is exactly the answer this deranged OP deserves!

I agree about the pomposity, and I'm an English teacher! Yes, I mark spellings and grammar...but I've also studied the history of English and I know there were plenty of people around 100/200/500 years ago who would have found the majority of English used today sloppy, inaccurate, full of slang and downright unacceptable. And yet, here we are.

0PHELIA - it's the conditional perfect not future perfect.

"I regret to see that vile and barbarous vocable talented stealing out of the newspapers into the leading reviews and most respectable publications of the day."

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Table-Talk (1833)

Did nobody hear mellojello? "of", as a non-standard version of "have", is in the OED already, with quotations going back to 1773.

YABVU - utter illiterate, bastardisation of our language
It is utterly incorrect to say/write "should of" and makes no sense.

there is a huge difference in say absorbing Americanisms or possibly revising the most common and unphonetic nouns a little to make them make more sense and taking on and accepting wholly incorrect language patterns as so normal as to be acceptable by dictionary standards. It would also seem laughable to the millions of non-native speakers around the world who learn to speak/write English grammatically, if they can do so as their second/third/even fourth language, then why the hell can't we native speakers manage??

yes, English is often not phonetic but no reason to give in to plain ignorance.

They heard her. They're all out rioting in the streets. Someone's politely looting Waitrose - they brought their own bags.