Could Have!!

[littlesally]

The correct wording is 'could/would/should have not of (i.e. could've)
Just wanted to point this out as it jars me.

Sally x

[ukaviator]

Does it really annoy you that much Sally ? <Laffin>

[littlesally]

I know it's silly UK, but yes it does - can't help it.
Also bugs me when my kids say ' the present what I would like' instead of that.
The school doesn't correct them, but I think it's important or they will sound thick!

Sally x

[Michael Browne]

http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/dro1199l.jpg

[Hippy-chick]

And - different to, when it should be different than or different from

[littlesally]

MB x

[dave]

I know exactly where you are coming from - it really gets my goat.

As does, "Loose" when the person means "Lose" (you see that a lot on here)

"To" instead of "Too" (as in "Too much", or "Me too")

Let the pendants revolt!

[Hippy-chick]

Originally Posted by dave

As does, "Loose" when the person means "Lose" (you see that a lot on here)

I HATE that one.

I'm totally revolting at the moment - having just marked 70 essays from 1st year Uni students - I spend more time correcting grammar than commenting on arguments. Rant, Rant, Rant.

Grrrrrrrrrrr!

Thanks - I feel better now.

[littlesally]

There, their and they're!
I don't understand how they can be confused.
I can understand spelling things incorrectly but not writing/saying the wrong word.

Sally x

[bazak1]

I know what you mean HC.
My kids say this quite regularly, "could of" instead of "could have".
No amount of correcting them seems to do the trick, because once they are back at school, it goes out of the window.
Another one that really riles me too is, the "F" being swapped for a "TH".
" i Fort i would go to the shops today".
" my mate naFan is coming over after"
When i went to school, the teachers would have kept us behind for ages until this "idle talking" was corrected.
What is the education system coming to?

[Hippy-chick]

Well Baz, it's so bad that we actually assess all our students online now and put as many as we can into classes to teach basic grammar. Most of them say they are not taught it at school. Most of them don't seem to want to learn it either ... And my department say I cannot mark down on grammar.

What's the education system coming to indeed!

Could of, of course, is a distortion on "could've"

[bazak1]

But where did it all change ?
Why has it been allowed to get so out of hand, and why havent young children had the basics of grammar drummed into them as we did years ago.
Reading, writing, maths, and good English understanding. The basics of any childs development in this country i would have thought.

[Hippy-chick]

Education policy. My sister's a head at a primary school - they have to teach the way they are told. Blame the stupid eejits who said that we should not be prescriptive about grammar. It's better in Scotland than England, I believe - and I think there's recently been a return to better methods in England.

[blueskies]

While we are in the pedantic mood. It bug me when people use apostrophes when they are pluralising a word.

Potato's etc.

Also I don't like Americanised spellings of words, such as all the words which end in 'ised', everyone seems to use the American 'ized' now (probably because the default dictionary for the computer spell checkers is US English).

[Hippy-chick]

Oh, don't get me started on apostrophes bluey.

Or American English.

[littlesally]

My OH's kids say 'by purpose' instead of 'on purpose'. Their mum says 'on purpose' is wrong!

In Portsmouth they say 'I do's that'.

As for Americans - spit instead of spat? Wrong tense.

One of my friends refused to have her kids named with a TH in, as she thought it better if their dad could actually say their names.

Schools are the place for education, some parents are too lazy, uneducated or unintelligent to correct speech, but schools are meant to.
There is too much emphasis on correct clothing, not enough on speech.

Sally x

[dave]

You lot are just mean, they'res lot's of meanness in here.

After reading this, I need a few pint's.

[dave]

Quote: