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Topic Options #346 - 03/16/00 12:29 PM toward vs. towards deborah s stranger Registered: 03/15/00 Posts: 3 I never know whether to use "toward" or "towards" (is the latter ever correct?). Does anyone know the rule? For example, in a sentence like "send your contributions toward(s) a gift to...," which form of the word would be correct? Thanks for your input! Top #347 - 03/16/00 05:37 PM Re: toward vs. towards jackiemw stranger Registered: 03/15/00 Posts: 18 James J. Kilpatrick, in his book Fine Print, says there is no discernible difference between the two: the British prefer towards; American usage calls for toward. Fowler, however, has a more complicated answer. He notes differences in pronunciation and usage (adjective/preposition). Says use as adjective is obsolete and, as preposition, the -s form is the prevailing one, and the other tends to become literary on the one hand and provincial on the other. Top #348 - 03/16/00 06:57 PM Re: toward vs. towards deborah s stranger Registered: 03/15/00 Posts: 3 Thank you kindly. That's very interesting and very helpful. Top #349 - 03/17/00 02:22 PM Re: toward vs. towards wildalaskarose stranger Registered: 03/14/00 Posts: 2 In journalism school, I was told that an "s" at the end of 'toward' is unnecessary according to the Associated Press style book. It is the same for 'backward' and 'forward' -- NKR Top #350 - 03/22/00 06:48 PM Re: toward vs. towards jmh Pooh-Bah Registered: 03/22/00 Posts: 1981 I think this is right. In Britain it would be usual to use towards. My Collins (UK edition) lists toward as obsolete, based on the Old English toweard. Instead, it is obviously alive and well and living in the USA. Top Previous Topic Index Next Topic Preview Hop to: General Topics ------   Information and announcements   Q&A about words   Wordplay and fun   Words and languages in schools   Miscellany   Weekly Themes   Looking for (writers, speakers, ...) (Old) Weekly themes. (have been consolidated into a single forum above) ------   Words from medicine   Beheading words   Meta-words   Words from classical mythology   Animal Safari   Words with unusual etymologies   Eponyms or words derived from people's names.   Loanwords from German   English as a global language Moderator:  Jackie  Print Topic Switch to Threaded Mode View profile Send a PM Add to your Watched Users View posts View profile Send a PM Add to your Watched Users View posts View profile Send a PM Add to your Watched Users View posts View profile Send a PM Add to your Watched Users View posts View profile Send a PM Add to your Watched Users View posts Forum Stats 8430 Members 16 Forums 13689 Topics 209810 Posts Max Online: 3341 @ 12/09/11 02:15 PM Newest Members supermatthias, prabakaran, sce, Eva, sylviasuper 8430 Registered Users Who's Online 1 registered (wofahulicodoc), 20 Guests and 2 Spiders online. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod Top Posters (30 Days) LukeJavan8 85 jenny jenny 60 wofahulicodoc 57 endymion6 50 Rhubarb Commando 37 BranShea 33 Faldage 15 Buffalo Shrdlu 14 zmjezhd 13 teepee 11 May Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

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