Ask a Coach: Toward vs. Towards

Ask a Coach

By Allison Millward, WRMC



Q: I'm confused about usage: which version of this preposition is correct, towards or toward?
                                                                             - Pondering Prepositions in Chantilly, VA

A: This is a good question about prepositions, usage, and--of course--style! The direct answer is this: check your style guide. Some style guides contend there is a distinct difference between the two words and some do not have a preference. Because we use APA style here at VIU, we will use the rules provided by the APA Publications Manual, 6th Edition (2010), which tells us to use the first spelling of the word in the dictionary, preferably Merriam and Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2005):

"If the dictonary gives a choice, use the first spelling listed; for example, use aging and canceled rather than ageing and cancelled" (p. 96).

With this rule in mind, we will always use toward without an s.

Examples: She is working toward her degree in Spanish.
                He ran toward the light.

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The WRMC is Open!

The WRMC is Open!

Returning students, welcome back to VIU! We hope you had a fantastic summer and look forward to hearing about your adventures/travels when we see you around campus!

New students, welcome to VIU! We hope you safely arrived and look forward to meeting you this fall!

The WRMC had a successful summer. Along with creating new resources on our website for students, we found a new home in the Commonwealth (CW) building. Our office doesn't have a number, but it is next to the staff lounge and across from CW 5.  Stop by and visit!

If you are an online student and can't visit us in person, please feel free to check us out online. In fact, all students should take a look at our website for resources and information: www.viu.edu/wrmc.

Have a great fall semester. We hope to see you in class, on campus, and around the town :)

WORD OF THE DAY: Imminent

Imminent (adj) [more imminent; most imminent]

 :happening very soon 

• We are awaiting the incoming freshmen's imminent arrival.
• The beginning of the school year  is imminent.
• These students are facing the imminent end of summer.

 
      Can you use imminent in a sentence? Submit a sentence using imminent and we'll post it on this blog!

      Use our "APA Style Guide" to help you craft your sentence!
  

Check out our website: www.viu.edu/wrmc
Make an appointment: http://www.viu.edu/wrmc/services/writing-services/?id=1523
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WORD OF THE DAY: Ignominy

ignominy (noun):  event or situation that makes one feel shamed or embarrassed

Examples:

The little boy had to face the ignominy of telling his neighbors about breaking their window with a baseball.

One's teenage years are filled with ignominies and self-consciousness!

WORD OF THE DAY: Exacerbate

exacerbate (transitive verb): to make a problem or bad situation even worse

Examples:

The shrieks and squeals of the children exacerbated their grandfather's headache.

"Not only is privatizing Social Security not the solution to Social Security, it would exacerbate the problem." - Shelley Berkeley, former U.S. Representative, Nevada

WORD OF THE DAY: Delineation

delineation (noun): explanation; outline; marking

Example:

The professor gave a clear delineation of both the republican and democratic viewpoints on issues of economics.

WORD OF THE DAY: Burnish

burnish (transitive verb): polish, make shiny by rubbing

Examples:

The hotel staff burnished the wooden floor in the lobby until it shone under guests' shoes.

Alice asked the jeweler to burnish her silver bracelet.

WORD OF THE DAY: Alacrity

alacrity (noun): readiness to do something quickly and with a cheerful attitude

Examples:

The alacrity with which Jane completed her tasks at work impressed her boss so much that he gave her a promotion.

Bobby's unusual alacrity for doing his weekly chores made his mother suspicious.

WORD OF THE DAY: Totter

totter (intransitive verb): to walk slowly and unsteadily

Example:

The happy parents took a video of their baby's first steps as he tottered across the carpet.

WORD OF THE DAY: Rife

rife (adjective): very common (and often unpleasant)

Examples:

Winter storms are often rife with school closings, power outages, and snow ball fights!

"...when suspicion and cruelty were rife, and gaunt Hunger wept beside Bereavement, - in such a case, the work of any instrument of social regeneration was in large part foredoomed to failure."
W.E.B. Dubois, The Souls of Black Folk

THE END IS NEAR!

We are fast approaching the end of the semester!  The WRMC would like to wish you the best of luck on your final exams, papers, and projects!  It has been an amazing semester getting to know your writing and interests through our coaching sessions. 

There is still time to meet with one of our writing coaches before your papers are submitted.  Consider making an appointment with us: http://www.viu.edu/wrmc/services/writing-services/?id=1523.

Please enjoy a few pictures of our snow/ice covered campus!

WORD OF THE DAY: Poseur

poseur (noun): a person who pretends to be someone or something he is not; an insincere person

Example:

The woman's insincere appreciation of the artwork  made it clear she was a poseur and not a true admirer of the artist's paintings.

WORD OF THE DAY: Obtuse

obtuse (adjective): stupid; unintelligent; unable to think clearly

Examples:

1. Jenny felt obtuse when the she didn't know the answer to the professor's question.

2. He became obtuse and grumpy from lack of sleep.

WORD OF THE DAY: Laud

laud (noun): praise

Example:

He received much laud and congratulations upon completing his master's program.

WORD OF THE DAY: Hinder

hinder (verb): to make a process slow or difficult; to hold something back

Examples:

My inability to communicate in French hindered my interaction with locals during my trip to France.

Don't let fear hinder your dreams!

WORD OF THE DAY: Equivocate

equivocate (intransitive verb): to use vague or unclear language in order to deceive or mislead someone

Examples:

1. Analysts accused the president of using equivocation when he was asked tough questions regarding foreign policy.

2. Don't equivocate or make excuses when you turn in an assignment after the deadline.

WORD OF THE DAY: Debunk

debunk (transitive verb): to show that something is not true; to prove something is false

Examples:

1. The show MythBusters tries to debunk theories that have no scientific basis.

2. The witness debunked the defendant's story and opened the jury's eyes to the truth of the situation.

WORD OF THE DAY: Bourgeois

bourgeois (adjective): of or relating to the middle class of society; also could describe someone who is overly concerned with wealth, possessions, and respectable behavior

Examples:

In his work The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx addressed the tensions between the bourgeois class, (middle-class and affluent members of society) and the proletariat class (working-class members of society).

Jane's friends teased her for being so bourgeois when she showed up to the party wearing expensive jewelry and furs.

WORD OF THE DAY: Acrid

acrid (adjective): violently unpleasant in taste or smell

Examples:

1. His least favorite thing about living in the city was the acrid smell of car exhaust fumes filling the air.

2. She left her bread in the toaster for too long, and the black, burned edges left an acrid taste in her mouth.

WORD OF THE DAY: Tenuous

tenuous (adjective): uncertain; not strong; flimsy; thin

Examples:

1. The student's poor test scores showed she had a tenuous understanding of the chapter.

2. The higher we hiked on Mount Everest the more tenuous the air became.