"Would like" has a legitimate use as the present subjunctive. The problem is not using it, but using it incorrectly.
"We would like you to attend" is correct.
"We would like to invite you," as you pointed out, starts an explanation of why you will not be invited.
Damn. On a roll, aren't you? Sounds like you awoke on the wrong side of your "Elements of Style" book today.
But seriously, I agree with you. I'm not a (professional) writer, but it seems we share some pet peeves regarding the art of connecting words.
God, I hope there are no typos in this post.
Fun! I will let you know when you get to my pet peeve. I would like to tell you now but that would ruin the surprise.
I would like to compliment you on this post...but my jealousy of anyone who writes well and who knows grammar better than I do forces me to fake an appearance of scorn and disinterest.
Maybe we can conversate about grammar sometime soon!
This post made me feel self conscious.
Reminded me so much of my ex teacher.
She used to say "There're no SUCH thing as 'near perfection', 'quite handsome', blah blah YAWNS blah blah. Perfect is perfect, if you are near perfection, you are NOT perfect STILL. Quite handsome means you're ugly STILL."
She's one bitter woman.
PET PEEVE? How's 'we should of went there...?'
:: nails on blackboard ::
Usually the statement relates to missing a Jeff Foxworthy concert or a local jug band in my hometown.
I have actually used that phrase in recommendation letters for medical students and recently graduated doctors. I'm almost certain (?) that I used it correctly, but your post makes me wonder.....
As I claim to be pretentious, droning and splendidly uneducated, (a person should aspire to be as many things as possible) I try to use as many words as possible as well. And I do use the thought expressed by "I would like"...For example, "I saw the loveliest Karastan hand-hooked rug, and I thought of you. Those colors would look PERFECT in YOUR living room. I promptly purchased it for my home. Or..."can you believe that I got a $500 gift certificate to your favorite spa? Don't those people know that I will never use it? Oh well, I will never use it, instead I will white elephant it on the day after it expired." I am proud to be a graduate of the University of Phoenix-Oscar Wilde School of Letters. I double majored in Snide and Snark
And I thought *I* was bad....
As a foreigner it irked me most to hear things like »How are you« »I’m good« Oh, you’ve been a good kid and would like to receive a pat on the head or what?
Or the filler word »like« in every sentence. Especially if it should have been »as« or »as if«. As you might have guessed from the last one I spent my time in California. But then again I recently overheard a very english girl going down the same route to style hades.
Great, great post!
I is "I would like" different from "I want to give you?" hmmmm.
Keep up the good work, next maybe you can take on the people who inside on making verbs out of nouns, ie. I "office" rather than I have an office.
I would like to thank you for this blog post ((snicker)).
Don't you dare come to my blog with that big, red Sharpie in hand!
I would like to thank you for this post, but I'm not going to.
Instead, I'm going to thank you for this post.
How would you like that?
You would, wouldn't you?
OH, I forgot to add:
Thank you for this post.
(The point of the whole thing above.)
I feel the same about "Would like" as I do about he/she goes.
When listening to someone tell me about a conversation they had with another person, I oftne hear the person say, "so then she goes..." She didn't go any where, she said, she replied, she stated. There are so many ways to indicate what the person spoke other then, "she goes".
Bravo! I laughed aloud.
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