Backward vs. Backwards?
Is there a grammatical difference between saying “I walked down the street backwards” and “I walked down the street backward” (without the “s”)? Is one of them incorrect, or are they interchangeable? Does the same go for “forward(s)” and “toward(s)”?
sbhall52
October 25, 2011, 12:41pm
Both forms are correct; generally, you find the -s ending more prevalent in Great Britain (or among British English speakers), and the shorter form more commonly in the US. There's a similarity with "toward" and "towards."
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Meg (unregistered)
October 25, 2011, 1:48pm
The difference is that with the S, they are not words. It is forward, toward, and backward.
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Hairy Scot
October 25, 2011, 4:38pm
@Meg
The OED and Chambers disagree.
Both list the "s" forms as synonyms of the "non-s" versions.
Another victory for common usage over common sense.
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BobToms100
October 26, 2011, 7:48am
As a British English speaker I would use Backward as an adjective, e.g. to take a backward step and Backwards as an adverb, e.g. I played the song backwards. Tho I am aware as well that they are synonymous, it's just my personal preference.
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AnWulf
October 28, 2011, 3:53am
From the OED:
usage: In US English, the adverb form is sometimes spelled backwards ( the ladder fell backwards), but the adjective is almost always backward ( a backward glance). Directional words using the suffix -ward tend to have no s ending in US English, although backwards is more common than afterwards, towards, or forwards. The s ending often (but not always) appears in the phrases backwards and forwards and bending over backwards. In British English, the spelling backwards is more common than backward .
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steve3
November 23, 2011, 10:47am
The British favor the "s" and the BBC uses it invariably. In the States, by the turn of the century, teachers stopped using/accepting the form with "s" and tests such as the college SAT expect the shorter form, e.g. in regard to vs. in regards to, etc.
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Hairy Scot
November 23, 2011, 1:43pm
@steve3
The BBC also invariably uses "lawr".
Regarding "in regard to" vs "in regards to", I think that is a can of worms best left for a separate discussion as I am sure the proponents of the "s" form will soon be making their views known.
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Hacovo
November 30, 2011, 4:58pm
And in regards to that, I'll kindly keep my mouth shut ;)
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Warsaw Will
December 2, 2011, 1:41pm
I really don't see that 'in regards to' has any connection at all with the backward(s)/forward(s) issue, which is one of different usage between BrE and AmE. In contrast, 'in regards to' seems to be more an issue of standard or not, whatever side of the pond or the argument you happen to be on, linguistically speaking.
http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/regards.html
A closer analogy could probably be made with 'while/whilst', 'among/amongst' etc, which I, being a BrE speaker, use interchangeably. But I know that some American commentators don't particularly like the '-st' versions, seeing them as 'prissy' Briticisms.
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AnWulf
December 2, 2011, 2:46pm
One can avoid regard/regards all together by brooking "anent". :)
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