...to remind you that it's "could have" not "could of"

[LostInShoebiz]

Just that. It's my pet hate and I can take no more.

Taking a risk and poking a toe out from the hinterland of Pedants' Corner to post this.

.

BetseyTrotwood
See I love things like that.

I just don't like the amount of sneering on here about SPaG

It's a bit:
OP - My DH has just dropped a bombshell on me. It seems he's been having an affair with one of my friends under my nose for the last 6 months and he's leaving me. Apparently theirs been times when I've not been up for sex much and have been out of sorts but that's because I'm busy caring for a 7 month baby. Apparently it was just a friendship at first but it turned into something more. What should I do?

SPaG police - don't you mean there have been times

Or people are disagreeing and you get:
At least I can spell/type.

The point someone resorts to 'aha SPaG/typos' to score points is thr point I mentally write them off as an idiot who has nothing to add to the discussion.

This drives me nuts!

I agree Maisy. Calling someone out on their SPAG when you're losing an argument/have run out of valid points is the last port of call isn't it? For the desperate. I can't say I haven't been tempted to do that in the odd situation but try not to as it's not relevant. Would rather address the argument or post. If we're not being snidey and sneery about it, and genuinely love language why can't it be mentioned in AIBU or Chat? Instead of cowering behind the battlements of PC like the precious pedants we are.

Also there's no shame in learning something new, I like it.

And I've fucked up many a time on here.

See, typed SPaG incorrectly. Autocorrect is a bastard tbf.

Indeed

Hi folks,

Thanks for flagging this one.

We do think this belongs in pedants corner - we're moving it over now.

Other issues like sneering aside, I don't think pointing it out however often will make the slightest difference.

I'm sure we pedants could point out on a daily basis that if you mean 'they are' then it's 'they're' and not their/there, or that if they mean 'you are' then it's 'you're' and not 'your', or that 'it's' is ALWAYS short for 'it is' or 'it has', so if it means either of those, you need the apostrophe. Etc. But I bet they would happen just the same.

IMO a lot of people who often make basic mistakes (and because they don't know the difference, can't see them) think there is some great mystique to it all - it's going to be too difficult to understand anyway, so they might as well not bother.
Which is a shame, since they are all quite simple if anybody bothers to explain them properly.

Back to Guantanamo.

Thank you, LornaMumsnet

Of course this doesn't belong in flipping Pedants Corner!

Pedants know about could of and could've.

fgs.

I'm going to start asking for every non-Aibu Aibu to be moved to the correct topic.

It is WRONG to use could of - nothing to do with regional speech, nothing to do with making children feel bad (if they are corrected they will not feel bad about misuse). It is incorrect English as it is making a nonsense by using a preposition of where it should be a verb have
It is not evolution of the language it is wrong on so many levels.
By all means use the phrase in speech and dependent upon your region make have sound like of just don't write it.
I would not correct anyone I met in RL if they used it as that would be rude.

Having seen how txt speak invades the English language, I would not wish for any further mistakes to become mainstream.

Of course this doesn't belong in flipping Pedants Corner!

Pedants know about could of and could've

fgs

I'm going to start asking for every non-Aibu Aibu to be moved to the correct topic

This. With huge bells on. I'm sure it gratifies some posters on this thread to push this over to Pedants' Corner. But that's not the point of it, surely? To preach to the converted?

Can you see how this thread might make someone who struggles with grammar apprehensive to post? That's why it belongs in pedants corner in my opinion.

Of course, this doesn't belong in flipping Pedants Corner!

Pedants know about could of and could've

They also understand elision in spoken English. “Could of” and its relatives are usually only a problem in written English. It comes from eliding/contracting "should have, would have," etc. in speech, which is common and not incorrect. It then gets incorrectly written as it sounds. In many accents of spoken English, including mine, contracting words with "have" or eliding a word with “have” create a homophone with "of." To insist that people change their accents to create a discernible aural distinction between the two is to display either linguistic ignorance or accent snobbery or both.

Another reason this thread does not belong in Pedants’ corner is that it is usually populated by people who just want to discuss language or who are asking for help. But at least its presence here will mean not many people will see it.

Just delete the whole fucking thing if it's that offensive. Pedants Corner isn't the right place for it at all.

I blame the teaching tbh.
Not the teachers, as they can only teach the n.c
Maybe, teachers should have to correct the mistake every time.

She had a conversation with her Bf recently that I walked in on, and they both said how it was unusual that they are both from single parent families, living in HA homes, yet both hate text typing, inncorrect grammar etc

They sound charming.

My pet hate is when I see on selling websites "only brought last year". I kept thinking people were accidentally hitting the R key but lots of people seem to do it intentionally.

Fuck me! Who'd have guessed a thread about correct grammar could prove so controversial it needs to be hidden?

I'm astonished at some of the posts (not including those from the usual professionally offended suspects) Being accused of being "elite" (new Brexit era insult) and smug just because you observe simple grammatical rules and produce a coherent sentence?

The same rules that are really not hard, are accessible to anyone who went to primary school and for which you don't need a degree.

A lot of unnecessary bitterness and reverse snobbery.

NB. I wasn't referring to sausage-finger induced typos in internet posts, only misuse of grammar.

Can you see how this thread might make someone who struggles with grammar apprehensive to post? That's why it belongs in pedants corner in my opinion.

But Pedants' corner is where people often come for help. A snarkfest like this thread will put them off. It should have stayed where it was or not started at all.

We're back in our own little corner now, for the safety of the populace. In case, you know, accurate grammar may be catching, potentially subversive and probably offensive.

Go ahead with all the trans threads though, that's fine! Just be careful where you place your apostrophes 👌🏼.

Can you see how this thread might make someone who struggles with grammar apprehensive to post? That's why it belongs in pedants corner in my opinion.

Think it should be 'apprehensive about posting'.