16Hit1600
Standard English ConventionsHard'Should have been', not 'should of'

Standard English Conventions practice question

The parcel ____ delivered by now; it was posted more than a week ago.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

  1. A. should have beenCorrect
  2. B. should of been
  3. C. should been
  4. D. should have being

Answer: A. should have been

The modal perfect is 'should have' plus the participle: 'should have been delivered'.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. should of been
'should of' is a misspelling of 'should have', from the sound of 'should've'.
C. should been
'should been' is missing the 'have'.
D. should have being
'should have being' uses the wrong participle; it's 'been'.

More Standard English Conventions questions

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