The
problem isn't that you're using these words incorrectly. It's that you're using
them at all! (But, as always, remember that most people aren't very concerned
with the minutiae of grammar and won't mind if you do.)
Alright: Alright is not all right! Continuing this week's
theme of "things you only thought you
knew about English," we have what is most likely the most commonly used
word from this list. In fact, it is so misused that many English teachers
either won't notice its use in a formal essay or will have thrown in the towel
already on this one and no longer even try to stamp out its use. Another common
theme from my posts so far has been that something has been used incorrectly in
the English language for so long that it is now regarded as "correct" in colloquial
speech. Such is the case with alright. Alright
is a non-existent word, a combination of the correct "all
right," which can either mean "all correct" if the writer
didn't necessarily intend for the words to be next to each other or
"satisfactory" if the adjacency of those words was on purpose and
mandatory. "Alright" stems from the latter definition. So even though
it is a mistaken jumble of a short phrase, its meaning actually differs from
the phrase from which it came; "all right" can be taken to mean
"entirely correct," while "alright" is taken to mean
"not entirely correct but adequate enough."
Irregardless (Note: Even the spell check on my computer isn't
underlining it with that annoying squiggly red line. Incorrect English has
taken over Microsoft!): This word is the Justin Bieber of non-existent
words. Widely known; the majority of people love to hate it, while the minority
continue on in their obliviousness, proudly singing its tune; and, if used in a
sentence, it instantly makes people think the speaker has the maturity and
intellect of a twelve year old girl. “Irregardless” seems to be a bemusing
mix of the words regardless and irrespective, synonyms which mean
“notwithstanding” or “without taking account of”
[1,2]. It was a combination of this confusion and what was likely the desire to sound more sophisticated that led to the birth of “irregardless.” Irregardless of how it came about, I
hope that anyone reading this will be careful not to use the word anymore.
Should of, Would of, Could of: An oldie but a goodie. Sometimes seen as the
equally (or possibly even more) atrocious “shoulda,” “woulda,” or “coulda.” Very
simply put: these phrases/words have
never existed and will never exist.
What are the actual words? Should have, would have, and could have. The
incorrect terms came about because, when spoken quickly, the v in “have” sounds like the f in “of.”
References
and other links for more information:
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