Well, it's not so much grammar as just clearly being someone who doesn't know they're making a mistake (I think English is not their first language). It drives me out of my mind to see it in an email, that I might actually have to forward to someone else. Since it's work-related, there's no tactful way for me to tell this person that they're making the error. And I quote from the email: if done correctly with the correct amounts they would of been matched up and would of been eliminated from the variance. ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! OK, I know that would have sounds the same as would of , but IT'S WRONG!!!! WRONG WRONG WRONG!!!!! Tobie's answer to my rant is: "Stop being so critical!" And I'm sputtering, because I still have some respect for the English language.