Curmudgeons' Corner

Guestmudgeon Kevin Welsh coulda been a corrector...

I only recently started teaching, but I have seen this problem show up much more often than I would have expected. Many students say "woulda" or "coulda" in their conversations.  I don't mind.  It's when I read it in their essays that I cringe because they spell it "would of" or "could of."  Apparently, they didn't know it is a contraction of "would" and "have" to create "would've."  It pains me to have to correct it in class.

This is another one of those "hear it first, write it later" problems (like doggy dog for dog eat dog).

Is there something you read or hear that sends you up the wall?

Do tell us. 

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