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It's "could have been", not "could of been"


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And for crying out loud...PLEASE let us never condider being grammatically-correct to be politically incorrect. One's lack of education is not our fault! :D

No hyphen with an "ly" adverb, usually. (I am not sure what the exception would be, but in a delightfully irregular language such as ours, the moment one "lays down the law," well, you know what happens.)

For the relief of the teeming dozens who hate the grammar cops:

can-i-borrow-a-pencil.jpg
 
"Begs the question" is my current pet peeve.

Hear, hear! The misuse of "begs the question" is so commonplace it's apparently become acceptable to use it to mean "raises the question." If you properly use the phrase "begs the question" (meaning circular reasoning), chances are you're only going to confuse someone.

I thought I was the only person in the world bothered by this. Misery loves company.

My real pet peeve is the death of the objective pronoun. I assume that journalists are likely to have taken an English course at some time, so it's pretty hard to take when they write (or speak) "that's what he said to you and I" or "that's between he and the team." Ugh!
 
I thought I was the only person in the world bothered by this. Misery loves company.

My real pet peeve is the death of the objective pronoun. I assume that journalists are likely to have taken an English course at some time, so it's pretty hard to take when they write (or speak) "that's what he said to you and I" or "that's between he and the team." Ugh!

Imagine if English still had declensions on every noun, as in German.

I'm also peeved by the rapid death of strong verbs and irregular past participles. Why pleaded instead of pled?
 
No hyphen with an "ly" adverb, usually. (I am not sure what the exception would be, but in a delightfully irregular language such as ours, the moment one "lays down the law," well, you know what happens.)

For the relief of the teeming dozens who hate the grammar cops:

can-i-borrow-a-pencil.jpg
I know....I was trying to bait you! :D
 
But those of us who take the time to capitalize the beginnings of Sentences ( and in my case: other words :D ) and who make the Effort to present our Thoughts in easy to read, enjoyable, and painless form do so as a Courtesy to you, and when you lazily and sloppily don't bother to extend the rest of us the same Courtesy, it is actually you who is in fact giving Offense.

I disagree with you and come down on the side of those who suggest that we might all try to express ourselves using something resembling correct English grammar and spelling.

You realize that you started with "I disagree with you" and then immediately agreed with me, right? ;) But I suppose that I'm honored that you regurgitated my Words and then pretended that they're your own. :rolleyes:
 
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I thought I was the only person in the world bothered by this. Misery loves company.

My real pet peeve is the death of the objective pronoun. I assume that journalists are likely to have taken an English course at some time, so it's pretty hard to take when they write (or speak) "that's what he said to you and I" or "that's between he and the team." Ugh!

It goes beyond your garden variety word crimes. To me, it's evidence that the idiots are taking over and standards are a thing of the past.

"Begs the question" is annoying because the misuse of the phrase is commonly accepted and almost everyone seems to have forgotten what it originally meant.

Next thing you know, "bootylicious" makes it into the Oxford Dictionary.

Next thing you know, college debating competitions turn into this:

 
Although proper grammar dictates that the proper way to say it is "could have", every day conversation allows for "could of".

Wrong. Sorry, Rob, but you are dead wrong. Respectfully submitted.

What is so damned difficult about typing "could've"???
huh.gif
 
While we're on this Subject, just before I lay me down well beyond my nominal BedTime, DayWalkers...

Who's heard'f the expression Death By Cops?

As in: Pansy wants to die but lacks Testicular Fortitude so he Runs At Cops to attract Hail O Bullets.

In that vein: If you're feeling suicidal but need an hand, catch me in a Bar and say "From Whence".

Gets me all Stabby just typing that.

Whence means "from where."

Therefore, "From Whence" ~ I'm getting that Stabby Feeling again ~ means "from from where."

As in: "From whence did you buy that Tuna Fish?"

Nails on the ChalkBoard ain't nuttin' compared to Turning The Ignition when the Car's already running.

Death By Fanatical Yankee. Reasonable Rates.
 
Interesting. I've never used it and probably never heard it used correctly.

Begs the question is a logic fallacy where your premises depend on the conclusion. You'll come across that all the time if you do any theological debating as virtually every apologetic position relies on question begging at some point.
 
People think "figuratively" and "literally" are one in the same.

This is used so often now that they have actually amended most dictionaries, like so:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/literally

4.
in effect; in substance; very nearly; virtually:
I literally died when she walked out on stage in that costume.

Has there ever been another example of the complete opposite meaning becoming acceptable like that? It is simply remarkable.
 
This is used so often now that they have actually amended most dictionaries, like so:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/literally

4.
in effect; in substance; very nearly; virtually:
I literally died when she walked out on stage in that costume.

Has there ever been another example of the complete opposite meaning becoming acceptable like that? It is simply remarkable.

Yes, the misuse of literally makes me figuratively insane!
 
Wrong. Sorry, Rob, but you are dead wrong. Respectfully submitted.

What is so damned difficult about typing "could've"???
huh.gif

To be fair, Rob is correct in the sense that there is no English-language equivalent of the Académie Française to dictate how English should be written, let alone spoken. (There is a notion of Standard Written English, but that is more of a consensus than a dictate; and while "I ain't goin'" isn't correct grammar in Written English, it's perfectly understandable when spoken allowed.)

I agree with you, however, that there is no logical grammatical sense in which "could of" is acceptable.
 
This is used so often now that they have actually amended most dictionaries, like so:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/literally

4.
in effect; in substance; very nearly; virtually:
I literally died when she walked out on stage in that costume.

Has there ever been another example of the complete opposite meaning becoming acceptable like that? It is simply remarkable.

I hate the fact that just because something (wrong) is spoken often enough, it becomes the correct grammar. That should be illegal!

One of my pet peeves are people that say "I pride myself in.....". When the correct grammar is "I take pride in the fact.....". But I think the dictionary changed the word "pride" from strictly a noun to a noun and verb.

So go fuggn pride yourself!! :D
 
Grammar is arbitrary :cool:
 
You realize that you started with "I disagree with you" and then immediately agreed with me, right? ;) But I suppose that I'm honored that you regurgitated my Words and then pretended that they're your own. :rolleyes:
That's a big "oops" on my side. I had intended to reply to another post...I must have hit the reply to your post by mistake. My bad.
 
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