Master confusing words with ease
Could have vs. Could of
Could have
/kʊd həv/Examples:
They could have taken a different path.She could have been an artist in another life.We could have avoided the traffic jam.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
This word has no antonymsCould of
/ˈkʊd əv/Examples:
He could of told me about the meeting earlier.They could of prevented the accident with more caution.I thought she could of handled it better.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
This word has no antonymsWays to tell them apart:
- Could have is the correct expression, indicating a possibility or a missed opportunity in the past.
- Could of is a common error and should be avoided; it arises from mishearing the abbreviated form couldve'.
- Remember that have helps form the perfect tense, while of is a preposition, hence doesn't fit with modal verbs.
- If in doubt, think of other modal verbs: would have, should have, all use have.
- Always use could have in writing to express something you might have done.
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