The 'Verb': "To OF"

[t020 11]

One of my pet hates is people who incorrectly use the word "of" as though it is a verb, in the place of "have". There is no verb "to of", its "to have". Therefore you don't say or write "I should of" or "I could of", you say or write "I should have" or "I could have". Granted, these can be abbreviated to "could've" and "should've" but are still not pronounced "of". I have heard numerous people on TV incorrectly using English in this way, and quite often in the written form too. So if you or anyone you know does this, please learn: There is no verb; "to of".

[Cycleracer 10]

hmmm seems logical though.

[Agent Dan 10]

People don't appreciate that "of", in that context, is a colloquial abbrevaition of " 've" which is a shortened version of "have". They just can't spell, do grammar or punctuation properly, and hence don't realise their mistake... it drives me mad too!! Especially people who write 'nite' and can't place apostrophes properly (e.g. it's)

[Spacehopper 10]

Nah Den Ace........

 

Originally posted by Agent Dan

.........and can't place apostrophes properly (e.g. it's)

 

"It's" catches a lot of people out!

 

It's is an abbreviation of it is or it has. However, in the case of something belonging to it, you would expect that to be it's also (the same as the ball belonging to Dave is Dave's ball). This is not the case and should, in this instance, be its.

 

Here endeth the lesson!

 

Regards,

 

Spacehopper.

[Hodge 10]

Originally posted by t020

...There is no verb "to of", its "to have"...

 

Sorry to be pedantic, but since we're talking grammar, it's "it's", or "it is", not "its"

[Agent Dan 10]

Clever ain't it?

[upholder 10]

Ha've 'a loo'k a't th'e Apostrophe Protection Society coi'tesi of Tony Ruscoe fr'm ''anoth'er thre'd.

 

[Hodge 10]

I should of pro'ly checked other thread's for grammatical links etc. Its all interesting stuff tho, like, and that, innit?

[Foxxx 10]

It's the same as using 'of' when saying 'bored of it', it should be 'bored with it'. More and more people say of and not with. Of is a popular word innit! Then again living in Sheffield, I notice that people say 'it were' all the time when it should be 'it was'. We could go on all day really.

[Agent Dan 10]

Bored 'of' it though is correct (I think?) as you are bored, and the of (genitive case) infers belonging, so the word 'bored' belongs to it, as an association.

 

Phew, if that made sense then please get me some help... I'm only 23 and I shouldn't care about this stuff!!!

[Foxxx 10]

I had a discussion with my mum about bored of versus bored with and she explained it to me but I can't remember her explanation! Bored of though is incorrect according to how grammar was taught in 'her day' and she gets really annoyed when ever people say bored of! I'll have to investigate because it would be amusing if I could prove her wrong!

 

To be honest alot of all the mispronounciations these days are probably due to the lack of grammar taught at school which is being passed on, I know I didn't do much at school, my mum always talks about clauses etc and their grammar lessons which we didn't learn in my day! It is also to do with regional dialect e.g. the sheffield were Vs was, 'it were weren't it' should be 'it was, wasn't it', and the whole internet/text abbreviations that are creeping in, hence 'nite' and 'of' instead of 'have' etc. We live in a different age now, imagine if we still spoke in ye olde english still!!

 

edited grammatical errors!!

[Phanerothyme 12]

I am fed up with people who cannot spell 'Hiccough' ("Hiccup"), who think 'Alright' is a word and who omit the apostrophes in 'plane and 'phone.

 

I mean, the apostrophe is a lazy convention anyway, invented for moveable type in order to make words fit into tight columns; hardly something required any longer, except perhaps to indicicate a genitive declension of an object.

 

To omit the apostrophe in 'plane or 'phone is further laziness and should be punished by having the perpetrators fingers nailed to a plank of wood, in order to prevent recidivism.

 

Incidentally - how is 'ghoti' pronounced, anyone?