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The Terrible Journalism & Tom English Thread


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The BBC web site report on the Aberdeen game quotes McGhee saying 'we could of won it' did he say that or are standards dropping everywhere?

I've seen it more and more frequently recently. Gets right on my tits.

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The BBC web site report on the Aberdeen game quotes McGhee saying 'we could of won it' did he say that or are standards dropping everywhere?

It's even worse than that. The actual quote is:

"I don't know if we should have won but we could of won."

So one attempt is correct and the other, using the same grammar, is butchered.

People seem completely unable to use the perfect tense. Either that or schools are no longer teaching the difference between did and done, or went and gone.

The BBC quote is clearly the fault of the unpaid trainee they get to type up and edit these things, but I'm pretty sure it's precisely what McGhee would have said anyway.

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Michael Stewart audibly says "would/could/should of" when he's on the telly, and it is rage inducing.

I think this is where it stems from - folk say and hear would've/could've/should've and think they are saying or hearing would of etc.

I think there needs to be a nationwide government advertising campaign to educate the masses and stop this madness before it gets out of control.

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The BBC quote is clearly the fault of the unpaid trainee they get to type up and edit these things, but I'm pretty sure it's precisely what McGhee would have said anyway.

Nah I think it's safe to blame Scott Davie for this one.

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The one that really grates is the increasing use of 'them' instead of 'those'. Naturally ex-players are the prime culprits but you'd think with all the media and PR training they're given something as basic as this would be addressed but obviously not. It really is fingers down the blackboard stuff.

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I think this is where it stems from - folk say and hear would've/could've/should've and think they are saying or hearing would of etc.

I think there needs to be a nationwide government advertising campaign to educate the masses and stop this madness before it gets out of control.

I find it just as annoying when people say "I've went there..." or "He done fantastic..."

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