1. Joules03

    Joules03 New Member

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    toward or towards?

    Discussion in 'Word Mechanics' started by Joules03, Jul 28, 2010.

    This has been bothering me. Is it toward or towards? I have seen both used. Are there rules about when it is used?

    He moved toward me.
    He moved towards me.

    The man moved towards the woman.
    The man moved toward the woman.

    ??
     
  2. minstrel

    minstrel Leader of the Insquirrelgency Supporter Contributor

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    According to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, "towards" is correct, and "toward" is simply a variant of "towards" common in North America.
     
  3. Manav

    Manav New Member

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    Yes, I have seen 'toward' only in American writings used in place of 'towards'. We in India, as British English user, use only 'towards'. In one of my article it was edited as 'toward' by an American publication. So, it depends on where you want it published.
     
  4. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    Both are acceptable in all English dialects. Towards is more common in UK English, toward is more common in US English. But neither one is wrong in any English dialect.
     
  5. Joules03

    Joules03 New Member

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    I suppose I should just make sure to keep it consistent throughout my novel.

    Thanks. I thought I was missing some basic grammar rule!
     
  6. B-Gas

    B-Gas New Member

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    Say the sentence out loud, go with whichever one sounds best at the time.
     
  7. claireb2

    claireb2 New Member

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    Towards is the Standard English version. But, as has been pointed out, towards is the perfectly acceptable and current American dialect...
     
  8. KP Williams

    KP Williams Active Member

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    This is what I do. Some instances seem to sound better with towards, other with toward. Although now that I'm saying the word so many times in my head, they both sound odd.
     

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