could of vs. could have

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Hmph
Posts: 5551
Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2004 12:32 am

could of vs. could have

Post by Hmph »

I'm starting to see a trend: using could of, should of and would of instead of could have, should have or would have.

how'd that habit start? :shrug:

first time I saw it ever was from gregglobe typing both here and at fratpack. did he start that habit there as many are now using the could of's, should of's and would of's now.

just curious, because I've never seen this before and all of a sudden, it's popular.

I guess it's like my lower case habit. I tried using upper case for informal talks, but it's a lotta work. :mad: I got so tired of proofing other people's work, that it was becoming an effort to type sentences for non-important stuff. :whew:
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miltie
Posts: 1173
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2005 7:47 pm

Post by miltie »

bad grammar is a personal peeve of mine. it's bad, i know. i'm so anal i find myself editing my old posts if i find something wrong. I have a tendency to want to get out the red pen and circle grammar mistakes in letters.

Double negatives (don't got no), incorrect tenses (i seen him yesterday), unnecessary s's (and so I says to him; i'm going to walmarts) are also on my list.

oh gawd, now you've got me started, i could go on and on about this.
Hmph
Posts: 5551
Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2004 12:32 am

Post by Hmph »

I'm not talking about bad grammar or spelling. lawd knows I never proof an email or post to save my life.

I'm talking specifically about could of, would of and should of and how as long as I've been talking w/people online (15+ years), I've never seen that until it started with gregglobe?

it's like everything else is grammatically correct in the same writing, but just that one style is a strange coincidence? :scratch:
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The truth shall make you free. Well F that! Pay me!
Dean
Posts: 361
Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2005 10:07 pm

Post by Dean »

I think it's because contractions are often used in everyday speech. I don't know if could've is correct, but I have used it, and it sounds almost like could of. I think sometimes people lose track of the meanings of the some of the words they use and write as if they were saying it.
Hmph
Posts: 5551
Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2004 12:32 am

Post by Hmph »

could have is correct, and I guess that would make could've. which may sound like "could of" I guess :dontknow:

just found it odd that it cropped up continuously.
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The truth shall make you free. Well F that! Pay me!
Dean
Posts: 361
Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2005 10:07 pm

Post by Dean »

It does seem odd. It had me worried for a little while.
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