When I get the time, I’ll write a proper post on this with references and everything.

But for now I simply want to voice my displeasure at receiving the following sentence in a work email:

I guess that’s something we should of considered at the time

Urgh. Writing ‘should’ve’ is fine, a bit colloquial but fine. Writing ‘should of’ however, that’s a death sentence. No trial, no jury: just death. That’s street justice, GrammarBlog style!

To paraphrase the milky-eyed songstress Gabrielle (where is she now?), “Should of, would of, could of are the last words of a fool”. At least they would be if everyone would just agree to give me Ultimate Power.

That’s another thing that annoys me – why haven’t I been given Ultimate Power yet?

**UPDATE** – I’ve just remembered it was Beverley Knight who did “Shoulda Woulda Coulda” (we’ve briefly touched on lyric grammar so I won’t get too het-up about the deliberate misspelling – although if I had a cat, it would get kicked tonight). Nevertheless the point about Gabrielle’s low profile still stands.