[Light-hearted] Those of you who write "would of/could of":

[RoboticSealpup]

How do your ask your children whether they've brushed their teeth?

OP is having a "lighthearted" pop at poor grammar. Sadly for her, no one wants to join in with the cruelty. Oh dear.

Ooooooo I understand! The question is about have and of!
I thinks it's a dialect thing often when people say of but the correct word is have.

I have been known to respond to people's messages/emails who have typed (for example);

'Yeh I must of put it somewhere, I'll let you know' with;

'Great! Let me know, I of to go out now!'

I don't have children but I guess if I did I'd say 'of you brushed your teeth'... ;)

"Did you" or "have you" is the connection. "Did you" applies to a time period that has ended. "Have you" applies to a time period that has not ended.

Before bed - "Have you brushed your teeth?"
When in bed - "Did you brush your teeth?"

Grammur

(imaginary child's name) teeth brushed? or Have you brushed your teeth?

I loathe could/would/should of but don't really understand your post OP.

Alconleigh wins! You get to feel superior and annoyed.

Flibbertigibbet You win some cotton wool to wrap yourself in.

Sorry about the lame joke, everyone!

I say 'darling, of you brushed your teeth'. Why?

OP's suggesting that people who use could of, should of, would of can not seem to realise what they are doing, substituting 'of' for 'have'.

Yet at the same time, they don't apply that "rule" for substitution in all their language, because if they did, they'd say 'Of you brushed your teeth?'

x-post turtlesone!

"Good grammar is never pointless."

But it isn't the most important thing when it comes to communication.

""Flibbertigibbet You win some cotton wool to wrap yourself in.""

No cotton wool needed. It's pathetic to use statements like that to shut people up, though.

This crap has been used for Century's to show whose supposedly better and who it's OK to exploit and control. Grammar alongside Accents/Etiquette.

If you struggle to understand what posters mean, then work on raising your comprehension.

This Forum is open to all, even those who don't think that grammar is important, or who have been let down by the education system.

But well done you, you are obviously so much better than the rest of us, have a gold .

"OP's suggesting that people who use could of, should of, would of can not seem to realise what they are doing, substituting 'of' for 'have'.
Yet at the same time, they don't apply that "rule" for substitution in all their language, because if they did, they'd say 'Of you brushed your teeth?'"

When I'm angry/stressed, I go very Scouse. I certainly don't write how I speak, as don't many people with regional accents, that they are proud of.

I would never, in my reports for Court, write, "X's Grandmother is proper sound". Or that "the house was hanging. Then I went into the Kitchen and that was minging". But, for quickness in conversation with some people, I would use that description and they would know exactly what was meant by that.

So why should anyone have to speak how they write?

I always use "have" if that is of any relevance to you.

jesus seriously - this is what you feel you need to post about

I may lots of errors in my writing due to having a learning need - not due to being some sort of thicko who needs educating although people who constantly needed to point out my errors did make my working life hell until I decided not to give a fuck - hth :)

The point is presumably that people who do use of will realise they don't say "of you brushed your teeth?" and thus be re educated.

But that misses the point that it is only in writing that it's an error. In speech, it's a contraction, or an elision of could or would with have or a function of accent.

Oh no cotton wool needed. I can give as good as I get but poking fun at illiteracy is not my bag. Make of that what you will.

Scientific research has shown that people who use ‘of’ instead of ‘have’ in the construction under discussion are less likely to be fastidious about their dental hygiene. Hence the need to check that their children’s teeth have been cleaned. Fact.

au contraire AlessandroVasectomi I can't spell for shit and have no fillings at 48 !

"Of you brushed your teef?"

Dick Van Doyk.

"Scientific research has shown that people who use ‘of’ instead of ‘have’ in the construction under discussion are less likely to be fastidious about their dental hygiene. Hence the need to check that their children’s teeth have been cleaned. Fact."

See, I've always liked interpretive dance, as a way of communication. Yes, my children are grunting, toothless, crawling with lice and feral, but we've had lots of fun

Hilarious OP criticising other people with an error, anyway there's a section for pedants

Lack of proof reading in a spiteful, smug OP brings me so much joy.

I am a pedant but I try not to be a patronising arsehole about it.

No one thinks you're clever, @RoboticSealpup.

there's a section for pedants

It's for people who like to talk about language and for people to ask for help, not for snark about others' linguistic shortcomings, real or (in the OP's case, misunderstood).

Wasn't this done before? I say would/ could/ should have.
Brushing teeth: have you brushed your teeth? (Don't get the relevance though)

This crap has been used for Century's to show whose supposedly better and who it's OK to exploit and control. Grammar alongside Accents/Etiquette.

I hate to rain on your post-structuralist parade, but I was really just making a snarky joke to point out the lack of logic in substituting one word for another one (that has a completely different meaning), though apparently only in certain contexts.

I bet you're a riot at dinner parties