I keep seeing 'could of', 'would of', and 'should of' all over social media and even in some emails from people who seem educated. Is this just a weird internet thing or are people actually saying it that way? I'm confused whether this is becoming acceptable or if it's still considered incorrect grammar.
It's not really that people are saying it that way out loud - it's a writing thing that comes from how spoken English sounds. When you say "could've" quickly, it sounds almost identical to "could of." Same with "would've" and "should've." So people who learned English primarily through speaking, or who are typing fast without thinking about it, naturally write down what their ear hears. It's a pretty common mistake, not some new internet phenomenon.
That said, it's still considered incorrect in formal writing. It hasn't become acceptable in any official sense - teachers still mark it wrong, grammar checkers flag it, and professional editors will always correct it. But you're right that you see it everywhere online because the internet is casual and people aren't always thinking about formal grammar rules. Someone might write perfectly in a work email and then type "could of" in a tweet without thinking twice about it.
The real issue is that seeing it so often makes it seem more normal than it actually is. Exposure creates a kind of false familiarity. But if someone's truly educated about grammar, they know the difference - they might just not care in a text message or social media post where the rules feel more relaxed. In anything that matters (resumes, professional documents, formal essays), it's still a mistake you want to avoid.
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