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Being rather fond of reading I come across certain discrepancies from time to time. Normally I am able to sort them out fairly quickly by referring to the nationality of the authors (ie u's being missed out of words like favourite etc) who cause the problems but I have been unable to come up with a plausible reason for one of the most annoying.
I am of course talking about the use of TOWARD and TOWARDS in literature. At first I believed them to mean different things, but alas they mean the same and there is absolutely no possibility of one being a plural as they are prepositions or adjectives.
So can any of you help me work out why they are both used in literature and soothe my addled brain before it spontaneously implodes?
bexter
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Carpal Tunnel
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Not much to explain. Towards , in present-day English is merely a variant of toward. More often than not, words ending in -wards are adverbs, like northwards, backwards, or homewards, but as far back as Old English, i.e., a thousand years plus ago, tōweardes has been a preposition as has tōweard.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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So is it just use whichever one you fancy or is it slightly more complex than that? A friend of mine has suggested that the s is an Americanism and toward is the correct English form, but I'm not too sure as it is in both American and English literature...
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Carpal Tunnel
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This site, quoting two usage guides, says that it's the other way around. Americans prefer toward and the English towards, but that neither is exclusively one or the other.
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This site, quoting two usage guides, says that it's the other way around. Americans prefer toward and the English towards, but that neither is exclusively one or the other. Thanks for that, Faldage, really wondered about it myself oftentimes.
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Thanks so much. It explains a lot  including why I use towards. It also explains why the national divide didn't help me work it out as it varies. Definately sorted out now and I shall now correct my friend and feel incredibly superior
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Pooh-Bah
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I've never really thought about it...which I use. I have said it several ways, out loud, just now....and I think I usually say 'towards'. No reason but it sounds better. And Bexter....I hope your friend doesn't mind being corrected by you 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Another not-quite-related comment, about the word hydrogenated.
I have always pronounced it HIGH-druh-jen-ayt-ed. But there's a commercial on TV in which it is pronounced high-DRAHDGE-en-ayted. Drives me bonkers!
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Carpal Tunnel
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Drives me bonkers!
Funny, I have always heard it pronounced, and pronounced it myself, with the stress on the second syllable.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Me too.
Jackie, did you learn this word in written form and are just now hearing it spoken?
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