Farther down the further path
Jan 5th, 2009 | By John Roach | Category: Grammar@RachelWriter wants us to clear up the proper usages of farther and further.
Conventional wisdom tells us that farther is used for literal distances and further for metaphorical ones and in the sense of “more.”
| I went farther down the road. | Let’s explore this further tomorrow. |
The distinction isn’t actually so cut and dried. In reality, either word can be used for distances, but only further conveys “more.” Fowler’s goes so far as to say that further will become the dominant form.
Most style guides, including AP and Chicago, enforce the literal/figurative distinction. Therefore, stick to conventional wisdom in formal writing. If the proper usage isn’t clear, further is a safe bet.
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This article was written by John Roach http://prowritingtips.com John is a writer and copy editor. You can follow him on twitter at @johnwroachiii. To see more posts click here |
