Of of of of of of of of of of

[BrickBiscuit]

That's the approximate number of rogue 'of's I have seen on Mumsnet posts today alone. 'Should of', 'would of', even an 'I of' somewhere. It is spread by repetition. Should we counter by correcting every instance we can, and enforce the correct use of 'have' by repetition?

Incidentally, my title is an old crossword clue. Do solve it if you like.

YABU: no, we should leave the 'of' people unchallenged;
YANBU: yes, let's have a campaign to correct each and every instance of the error.

Yes, but I think there have always been, and always will be, tiers of written language that follow different rules. Text messages and social media have their own style. Formal language still follows accepted conventions, closely monitored. I don't think we can, or should, apply a "one size fits all" approach. Not everyone has an aptitude for grammar and spelling, or cares particularly. We might wish that they cared more, but they might wish that we cared more about something else! 🌞

More common an error than that, is loose v lose. Then there's who's v whose.

I think a few people on this thread should read Lionel Shriver’s new dystopian novel Mania.

Brief synopsis

What if calling someone stupid was illegal? In a reality not too distant from our own, the worst thing you can do is call someone is 'stupid'.
Everyone is equally clever, and discrimination based on intelligence is 'the last great civil rights fight'. Exams and grades are discarded and you don't need a qualification to be a doctor.

It's invariably discrete that's used instead of discreet, and almost never the other way around. I don't think I've ever seen discrete (as in the meaning of it) on any forum other than a specific science-related one.

That's actually easy to see coming sooner rather than later; frightening prospect.

I can never remember the different definitions of discrete/discreet and therefore which one is correct in a specific instance so I always look it up when I want to use either. Same with stationary and stationery. Always have to check but I know I need to check and don't just guess.

There have been plenty of examples in this thread of uni graduates (in CVs, on the job) making these basic S&G mistakes - of for 've etc

Grammar and tenses don't "evolve".

In the schools I went to, spelling yes, but grammar no.
I didn't know what a verb was until I started learning French.

It’s just a difference in communication style. People who prefer oral communication (videos, radio, face to face) are very good at pronunciation but often make spelling and grammar mistakes when writing. People who prefer written communication (books, forums, articles) are the other way round.

I am the latter, which means that my spelling and grammar is generally good but in conversation I often don’t know how to pronounce a word. I hate it when people make fun of me for it, so I avoid making fun of people who make mistakes in their written communication because I prefer to treat others as I wish to be treated. As long as you understand what they mean, best to just leave it.

Yes they do and it’s likely that’s why the issue started. Just because they sound similar when spoken doesn’t mean it’s ever correct to write would have. It’s basic literacy.

My English teacher helped me with this. Is this more of an educational issue?

In my very large company, big bank, we are now taught it’s okay to use phrases like ‘should’ve’ and ‘would’ve’ as acceptable in letter writing to customers. It feels like the written word generally is being dumbed down.

Thinking trains and envelopes helps me.

The evolvement argument is a cop out for poor grammar.

What say you? Grammar doth not evolve? Knowest thou this for a fact?

A few tricks you might find helpful:

Stationery - e as in letter
Stationary - a as in train

Discreet is a common word but discrete is not often seen - in discrete the Es are 'separate'.

Those are the correct contractions.

I think that's not about language being dumbed down; it's about a reduced formality towards others. In the same way that we no longer call people "sir" as frequently.

Trouble is I already have an association with a looking like @ which I associate with offices and therefore paper and pens but then I remember e for email which has the same association so I have no chance of remembering which memory trick is the right one 😂

It is.

Yes correct contractions but they used to be discouraged in formal business letters.

lol

Now I’m scared, there’s a cop out to get me!

That's not the same as grammatical error. The language still remains the same, regardless of its delivery according to any time in history.

😆 🤣 😂 😹 😆 🤣 😂 😹 😆 🚔