Proper english?

Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by Speculant, Apr 4, 2014.

  1. Speculant

    Speculant The Confused One

    "Shouldn't ever" or "Should never"?

    Which should be used? Are they both gramatically correct? Is one more correct?

    Hopefully a current/previous english teacher can help me out with this :confused
     
    Speculant, Apr 4, 2014
    #1
  2. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    I would think that both are correct.

    Used in a sentence:

    You should never cross a street without looking.
    You shouldn't ever cross a street without looking (or 'You should not ever cross a street without looking')

    Preference for me would be the first using never.

    Of course, I'm not an English teacher so maybe I'm completely wrong (or is that 'incorrect'? LOL)

    I'll text my sister who is in fact a HS English teacher and see what she says.
     
    LauraR, Apr 4, 2014
    #2
  3. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    My sister said both are equally proper.
     
    LauraR, Apr 4, 2014
    #3
  4. Adrynalyne

    Adrynalyne Guest

    Just don't ever say Should of or Could of.

    Grammar fairies will visit you in your sleep and rip your tongue out.
     
    Adrynalyne, Apr 4, 2014
    #4
  5. Anon-9aee479f8f

    Anon-9aee479f8f Anonymized

    I hear should of, could of, and would of a lot around here. Where are these fairies when you need them? Possibly they are too busy to catch everyone saying this.:-D
     
    Anon-9aee479f8f, Apr 4, 2014
    #5
  6. Oldphil

    Oldphil Sergeant

    Being as this is an International Forum one should not care, people of all languages post here we all must do our best to help then no matter how they present their problems.
     
    Oldphil, Apr 4, 2014
    #6
  7. Adrynalyne

    Adrynalyne Guest

    Could of and should of are not international or ESL mistakes.

    There is no logical placement of those two words anywhere.

    It is a mistake with the contraction should've and could've, which are pronounced could of and should of by those who speak using contractions. Instead, it is could have and should have that these contractions represent.

    English speaking countries are more likely to speak in contractions than others learning the language.
     
    Adrynalyne, Apr 4, 2014
    #7
  8. Anon-9aee479f8f

    Anon-9aee479f8f Anonymized

    Sorry, when I said "around here" I actually meant around the area where I live not on this forum. Did not intent to offend anyone.
     
    Anon-9aee479f8f, Apr 4, 2014
    #8
  9. blatherbeard

    blatherbeard Specialist

    Come now its not Should of its Shoulda.

    Like, I shoulda popped him da mouth!

    :-D
     
    blatherbeard, Apr 4, 2014
    #9
  10. Fred_G

    Fred_G Heat packin' geek

    Dang scraight! :-D
     
    Fred_G, Apr 4, 2014
    #10
  11. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    AH well

    In proper English its "Should Not" = Shouldn't

    English teaching but don't know USA English term, but above is what UK would use for proper English ;)
     
    DavidGP, Apr 5, 2014
    #11
  12. the mekanic

    the mekanic Major Mekanical Geek

    Shamefully, I actually own a copy...


    :wave
     

    Attached Files:

    the mekanic, Apr 5, 2014
    #12
  13. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    NEAT

    I don't but I damn well get corrected in work and working in medicine the grammar is so damn precise you cannot get a word or term out of place.

    I tend to get protocols I write read over by two different people to make sure the wording is correct and reads well.
     
    DavidGP, Apr 5, 2014
    #13
  14. Anon-9aee479f8f

    Anon-9aee479f8f Anonymized

    Possibly the most misused phrase in the English language is "I could care less" when in fact they mean "I couldn't care less".
     
    Anon-9aee479f8f, Apr 5, 2014
    #14
  15. Speculant

    Speculant The Confused One

    That happens quite often to me! Also, for example, if I want to take an empty seat and I ask the person next to the empty seat "Do you mind if I sit here?", and they say "Yeah" and then gesture towards the seat. It seems that 50% of the time they mean "Yes, I do mind and no, you cannot sit there" and 50% of the time they mean "Yes, you can sit there".
     
    Speculant, Apr 5, 2014
    #15
  16. Fred_G

    Fred_G Heat packin' geek

    That one is a pet peeve of mine...
     
    Fred_G, Apr 5, 2014
    #16
  17. the mekanic

    the mekanic Major Mekanical Geek

    As a standalone, you ain't kiddin'.

    "I could care less, and I believe I shall."

    "I couldn't care less."


    Amazing is the power of the conjunction!!

    :-D
     
    the mekanic, Apr 6, 2014
    #17
  18. Fred_G

    Fred_G Heat packin' geek

    "Lets eat, Grandma."

    "Lets eat Grandma."

    Punctuation saves lives... :-D:-D
     
    Fred_G, Apr 6, 2014
    #18
  19. Bugballou

    Bugballou MajorGeek

    Contractions are fine in speech, but should be avoided in writing. To each their own though, as long as the message is conveyed.
     
    Bugballou, Apr 12, 2014
    #19

MajorGeeks.Com Menu

Downloads All In One Tweaks \ Android \ Anti-Malware \ Anti-Virus \ Appearance \ Backup \ Browsers \ CD\DVD\Blu-Ray \ Covert Ops \ Drive Utilities \ Drivers \ Graphics \ Internet Tools \ Multimedia \ Networking \ Office Tools \ PC Games \ System Tools \ Mac/Apple/Ipad Downloads

Other News: Top Downloads \ News (Tech) \ Off Base (Other Websites News) \ Way Off Base (Offbeat Stories and Pics)

Social: Facebook \ YouTube \ Twitter \ Tumblr \ Pintrest \ RSS Feeds