Use of the word "of" incorrectly

Question

It seems to me that we use the word "of" a lot and most of the time it is unnecessary.  For example:  "That's too big of a bite."  Shouldn't this be "too big a bite"?  Or "it's outside of the house."  Isn't it "outside the house"?  Or is this merely a familiar-sounding elision, like "the dog wants out"?

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

It seems to me that we use the word "of" a lot and most of the time it is unnecessary. For example: "That's too big of a bite." Shouldn't this be "too big a bite"? I agree. Many people find the 'of' form of this annoying, but I think it's on its way to being considered standard one day.

Or "it's outside of the house." Isn't it "outside the house"? Or is this merely a familiar-sounding elision, like "the dog wants out"? Here, both seem fine to me. I wonderif people used to find the 'of' form of this annoying, just like the above?

Clive

CalifJim · Answer

I don't think I'd use "of" in either of those, but I've heard them and I may even have used them in other situations. I wouldn't say they're incorrect. Just "variants".

CJ

Use of the word "of" incorrectly

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