Happy Friday and a joyous three-day weekend to you!
Several of the Editor’s Corner topics over the last couple of years have included misheard phrases and misheard song lyrics, often with hilarious results. I wouldn’t call today’s topic hilarious, but it is based on mishearing. It is actually a peeve of several of your JHA co-workers, so be careful when you are saying or writing should have or should’ve.
Correct: John should have given her the smaller ring; the larger diamond looked obscene on her tiny finger.
Correct: I should’ve known better than to put Mentos® into that bottle of Diet Coke®.
Incorrect: She should of been more careful when feeding the zoo’s notorious spitting camel.
That’s it! That is the lesson. Don’t use of. Of is a preposition and has nothing to do with the present perfect verb should have.
Kara Church
Technical Editor, Advisory
619-542-6773 | Ext: 766773
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