To think when people say 'Should of' instead of 'Should HAVE' - it makes them look incredibly thick

[Vajizzle]

Honestly I do not understand how people can continue making this mistake

I know people who are very clever and have professional jobs, that continue to do this

It makes me fkin scream inside

YABU because I can't hear the difference between should of and should've. I don't think you can either @Vajizzle .

@PAFMO don't you think this is a bit of a boring thread for sock puppetry?! You should report it if you think it's the case though.

Some of the insults on here are getting rather ridiculous - why are people so pent up, over a strangers opinion? This thread is like a psychologists wet dream

Why are my thoughts so important to ya'll? (there is one for the grammar police)

You guys OK? Monday not going so well?

I teach Functional Skills English. I explain that this is a common error students make and explain clearly why they are making it. That yes it sound like ‘should of’ when we say it but we’re actually saying ‘should’ve’ and show them it written down. It is perfectly understandable (I say that) but I definitely don’t consider anyone ‘incredibly thick’ 😳 I did nearly faint however when someone showed me some teacher’s written feedback including ‘should of’ 🙄🙄🙄 As a linguist I find this ‘error’ exciting. It’s the use of language in evolution as is most. In many years to come it might actually become the norm and be perfectly acceptable as language evolves with patterns of usage until it becomes acceptable. Think of previous words like ‘plane etc. who does that now?!!
What I find most exciting is, with the use of t’interweb, most of our written language now more closely emulates our spoken language. I don’t go back and perfectly punctuate my texts, MN posts etc with correct comma usage etc. As long as our written language is clearly understood by our reader that is perfectly acceptable language usage for that particular form. I would write differently for formal letters, academic writing etc.

No it wouldn't.
Those of us genuinely interested in descriptive linguistics and working in the area would still point out how a) rude and b) ignorant these posts are.

Shouldn't 'touche' have an acute accent?

Touché !

😉

@Tansytea - say you are right and I cannot hear it - I can still see it

and seeing it is worse, it burns my eyes

It makes them look like they don't know that should've is short for should have and they think it is should of because should've sounds like should of.

Whether that in itself makes them 'thick', I don't know. I don't think it does.

It does make them someone who was let down in their education though because that's really very basic stuff.

Oh Christ @PAFMO sorry, didn't realise you'd appointed yourself some sort of arbiter of correct discussion.

I agree it looks bad but it's because people always say "Should've" which sounds like "should of" and not "should have". It's a forgivable offence in my opinion.

Your OP came across as very aggressive and angry, with demeaning name-calling included.

Perhaps YOUR Monday isn't going so well

I’m not a fan of grammar police at all, I think you come across quite ignorant.

firstly not everyone has has the privilege of your education and it’s crazy that you can look down on someone based on grammar.

secondly we live in a society with different accents and dialects.

Th-fronting is very common in Estuary English. I have a speech (and slight hearing) impediment that means I find it very, very hard to hear the difference between or to correctly say words beginning with "Th". I'm miles away from there, but one of my colleagues assumed I'd grown up near Essex/East London because of how I speak <g>

Oh you are being silly now OP, in your determination to be right. Of course you can hear it!

I'm not.
I'm pointing out that the OP is the one coming over as "thick" and that sending posters to Pedant's Corner in the hope to continue bitching about people won't work.

It drives me mad too, but much worse imo is 'aitch' (letter H) pronounced as 'haitch'. I'm on a losing battle with that one though, it's almost common usage now.

Please can you complete strangers make your minds up - either I can hear it or I cannot.
I admire you, did you get my hearing report from the Hospital, already?
Wow.

Also, "Thick" is a horrible word.
People are either poorly/under educated, or they may have learning needs. Neither is their fault, is it?

"Why are people so pent up, over a strangers opinion?"

Probably the same reason strangers' grammar mistakes make you "fkin scream inside"?

Oh dear.
You might want to look at Northern Irish shibboleths and sectarianism before you start throwing aitch/haitch into the mix.
There are numerous threads in Pedant's Corner explaining why it's a bad idea.

It annoys me OP.

It's so prevalent now.
I get that language evolves but this error doesn't even make sense.

@PAFMO - You have accused me of being accusatory, although I haven't actually accused anyone - other than thick people in general

However you have repeatedly called me thick

So you are accusing me of the same thing you are doing. Repeatedly.

Are you normally a one-trick pony?

@PAFMO - You are repeatedly singling me out - can you just stop. I didn't come on here for an argument, but you clearly did.

Thanks, and good day

I get irrationally irritated by the shortening of words, such as fkin, and also by text speak, like PMSL. They are deliberate and make the user sound like a twat.

I agree OP, it utterly grates on me too and sounds uneducated. Same as "I text" instead of "I texted" and "We're gonna go McDonalds" missing out the "to".