# contractions: shouldn't've

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contractions-shouldntve/575765>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 23, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contractions-shouldntve/575765 "2011-03-23T21:33:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contractions-shouldntve/575765/21 "2011-03-25T12:28:41Z")

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> [@Keeve](#):
>
> But stay far away from “shouldn’t of”.

This.

Personally, I say “shouldn’t have.” But I do say “couldn’t’ve.” Not sure why.

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**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contractions-shouldntve/575765/22 "2011-03-25T12:47:23Z")

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I think the phenomenon of _shouldn’t’ve_, _couldn’t’ve_ etc. is one of the greatest things about English, and when those things set my spell check off red, I take great delight in ignoring it.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contractions-shouldntve/575765/23 "2011-03-25T17:41:50Z")

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If I’d seen this in formal writing, I’d’ve had no problem with it.

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contractions-shouldntve/575765/24 "2011-03-25T17:45:31Z")

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**Shouldn’ta** retrieves 25 million hits. I think we have a winner. If you can call it that.:dubious:

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contractions-shouldntve/575765/25 "2011-03-25T17:55:51Z")

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> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#):
>
> **Shouldn’ta** retrieves 25 million hits. I think we have a winner. If you can call it that.:dubious:

Shouldn’ta without quotes returns mostly hits like these:

> [@](#):
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> Shouldn’t a Company Protect the Species in its Logo?

> [@](#):
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> Why shouldn’t a teacher earn more than Dave?

“Shouldn’ta” with the quotes returns only 436,000. And even those are mostly false hits:

> [@](#):
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> Shouldn’t a man always think big when it comes to a proposal?

> [@](#):
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> Shouldn’t a Museum’s Collection Include its Designed Landscapes …

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