Misuse of "should of" (would of, could of, might of) for "should have" or "should've" (would've, could've, might've)

Tweet

This one really stumps me...but it also DOESN'T stump me! Let me explain.

When people say or write should of when they mean should have, I can see how they may have arrived there. If they've heard it as should've, that certainly sounds like should of. So that's why I'm not stumped by it. However...

How is it that they never learned the correct word combination? What do they think should of even means?! Where were they when should have (would have, could have, might have) was taught in school?

Here's a rundown on the correct terms:

"He should've picked up his clothes."
"You could've played another game before leaving."
"I would've preferred coffee but they only had tea."
 "The team might've been good this year if Mark hadn't been injured."

Still not sure which word is correct? Please post a comment below, or contact us on Twitter.

Tweet to @MyPetPeevesBlog