Is "Towards" a Word?

[On the Road]

The DU spellcheck doesn't recognize it -- only "toward." Surprised me.

There are some others, too, but I can't think of them.

[Dem Agog]

1. Not that I know of

This is one of the few that always gets me. I have no idea, but I just want to add that S so bad.

[hollywood926]

2. One of them is the American usage, one the English...

but I can't remember which...

[arwalden]

3. toward is the most commonly used spelling, but towards is also correct

http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=dictionary&va=towards

[skygazer]

4. No

You go toward something, not towards it. It's a common mistake.

[arwalden]

5. Hmmm...

(see above)

[DrZeeLit]

6. Sorry, I gave up grammar with the election... or I'd help here...but no,

I cannot go toward the dark side and back to Grammar Nazi.

Oops... I think I answered.
Slap!
Slap!
Snap out of it!
(I'm channeling Cher now)

[OldLeftieLawyer]

7. It's pronounced "tord"

which still haunts me when people say "too ward."

[MADem]

8. Yep.

http://www.bartleby.com/61/20/T0292050.html

[FreedomFry]

9. It's "toward" in the U.S.

It's true that "towards" is acceptable in British English. But professional editors (i.e., anal-retentives) like me appreciate it when we see "toward" used in the U.S.

And AP Style says use "toward."

[On the Road]

14. Must Have Been Reading Too Much British English

:)
That's very interesting. I had no idea this controversy existed, and I tend to pay attention to usage and grammar.

[LisaM]

10. It's a word - you use it with the collective noun

which they tend to use more in the British English, rather than American.

[On the Road]

12. Oh, Is That the Difference?

I never would have thought it had anything to do with collective nouns.

On Edit: So for example, you would say:

"We're driving TOWARD the town" but

"We're driving TOWARDS the crowd"?

[LisaM]

15. No, I think it's more the way you would use "is" and "are"

We would say, the group IS such and such, the British would say, the group ARE such and such. So we would say, the group moved 'toward' and they would use 'towards'.

I actually use the word towards where appropriate. I lke British usage better sometimes.

[Liberal Veteran]

11. towards is most definitely a word...

:)

[kwyjibo]

13. Towards? Anyways? Backwards?

I don't think any of these should have an S on the end, but it seems as though most people put it there anyway.

anyways.

[bloodyjack]

17. anyways is not a word

it's anyway

do you ever say anybodies or anywheres?

'any' is strictly singular

[420inTN]

16. Yes. It's a preposition n/t

[Redleg]

18. It is out West where I'm from.

So is "djeat yet?"