Oh, dilemmas...

Madison · Jan 5, 2008

To settle my uncertainty once and for all: how (in the US) are towards and forwards used? is it towards or toward? do you lean forwards for forward? do you go forwards or forward? towards the treasure? toward the treasure? and don't those words look really strange when you stare at them too much?

otterman · Jan 5, 2008

This might be helpful (Googled it):

"The endings ward or wards suggest movement in a particular direction. The general rule or perhaps pattern is a better word is that ward is used in the adjective function, wards in the adverb function. In this way it is a backward glance but glance backwards. In my experience the only one that bucks the trend is toward(s). To my ear the use of toward for both adjective and adverb is quaint and oldfashioned as in: his attitude toward her or he walked toward her."

I think you can find more in the grammar section of this site, if still confused.

David I · Jan 5, 2008

US dictionaries list both "toward" and "towards" as equally legitimate. Many people in the US seem to prefer "toward" on the grounds that if the "s" is optional then it ought to go.

The UK preference leans strongly the other way--to the extent that I had any instance of "toward" changed to "towards" by a British copyeditor.

I use whichever sounds better to my inner ear in the sentence in question.

Now go do "further" and "farther"...People have some good hairsplitting opinions on this one. And no one seems to be able to explain why we don't say, "Farthermore..."

Shady Lane · Jan 5, 2008

I always use towards/forwards etc. just because it sounds right to me. I'm American.

reenkam · Jan 5, 2008

For me, it depends on the sentence. I use whichever sounds nicer at the moment.

san_remo_ave · Jan 5, 2008

I'm American and generally use toward and forward; I rarely use the -s. Not sure why that is... *shrug*

dragoon_elf · Jan 5, 2008

I read a long time ago that "toward" and "forward" was most used in America. It's been ingrained in my head ever since and being an American, I don't think twice about using toward or forward.

Garpy · Jan 6, 2008

my bugbear was past/passed.

Danthia · Jan 6, 2008

David I said:
Now go do "further" and "farther"...People have some good hairsplitting opinions on this one. And no one seems to be able to explain why we don't say, "Farthermore..."

My understanding of this one...farther is used when you can count the "measurments" of the action. As in "I walked farther into the room." (You can count the steps). Further is used when the measurments are more abstract. "In my quest of being a duck wrangler, I could go no further." (No way to measure how far that is)

I think furthermore is it's own seperate word

It just bears a striking resemblence to the others. Maybe the same father? (Or is that "farther"?)

HeronW · Jan 6, 2008

I've read where if you can lose the s then toward and forward you go :}
Farther is distance and further is time?

Esopha · Jan 6, 2008

I use either towards/toward when speaking but only toward in writing. I dislike that extra s.

My English teacher had us memorize "Farther - distance; further - degree" when we were learning commonly confused words. I think she spent a half hour on it. Needless to say I don't forget the definitions.

kuwisdelu · Jan 6, 2008

Danthia said:
My understanding of this one...farther is used when you can count the "measurments" of the action. As in "I walked farther into the room." (You can count the steps). Further is used when the measurments are more abstract. "In my quest of being a duck wrangler, I could go no further." (No way to measure how far that is)

I think furthermore is it's own seperate word It just bears a striking resemblence to the others. Maybe the same father? (Or is that "farther"?)

This is it.

"Farther" is used with anything you can literally set down a bunch of rulers and measure the distance.

"Further" is used to imply degrees and a more abstract notion of distance.

"Furthermore" is easily explained by thinking about when you use it. It's most often used as a transition to imply there's more to something, or...well, you know. But do you ever use it when you could physically measure what you mean by it? No. It's abstract, so it uses the more abstract of the two.

Oh, dilemmas...

Madison

summertime...

otterman

Word Voyeur

David I

Shady Lane

my name is hannah

reenkam

aka cupcake

san_remo_ave

Back at it

dragoon_elf

Garpy

keyboard monkey

Danthia

HeronW

Down Under Fan

Esopha

bam pow zap.

kuwisdelu

Revolutionize the World