Could've, Should've, Would've

How to use contractions with "have" correctly

This is an entry on my list of Common Errors in English Usage. Visit the main page for direct links to additional entries.

The auxiliary verbs could, should, and would should never be followed by the preposition of. This error is a misinterpretation of the contracted forms could’ve (“could have”), should’ve (“should have”), and would’ve (“would have”); the contracted have sounds a lot like of when spoken. (Although contractions like these are generally not used in formal writing, they are accepted forms.)

I should of remembered not to use of after should on my essay.

I should’ve remembered not to use of after should on my essay.
I would’ve gotten a better grade if I had remembered.

Related Resources

Common Errors in English Usage: Errors in diction and idiom commonly made by native speakers of English

List of Common Errors in English Usage (PDF): Printable version of the complete list

Common Grammar Errors: A list of common errors in grammar (topics like subject-verb agreement and parallelism) as distinct from usage

List of Common Errors in English Usage: PDF version

© 2006, 2008, and 2019 C. Brantley Collins, Jr.