Towards and toward are both prepositions that can be used interchangeably. They both mean “in the direction of” (the most common meaning), as well as “in contribution to” and “in relation to.” Which one you use will largely depend on whether you use British English or American English.
In British English, it is more common to use “towards” (with an “s”).
In American English, it is more common to use “toward” (without an “s”).
Examples: Towards and toward in a sentenceI like to get a seat toward/towards the front of the plane.
The hikers made their way slowly toward/towards the clearing.
The money raised goes toward/towards the roof repairs.
It’s important to realize the benefits of a positive approach toward/towards your studies.
NoteYou can use towards in American English, even though it is less common. The same is true for British English and toward.
Also be aware that style guides might have specific requirements, with both APA and Chicago preferring toward without the “s.”
In some cases, you can use “to” as an alternative for towards/toward (e.g., “He was heading to the exit”).
Duly noted is a commonly used phrase that means “understood and taken into account.” The phrase is made up using the adverb “duly” (i.e., “in the correct manner”) and the verb “noted” (i.e., “acknowledged”).
Its most common use is in professional or formal contexts. When used more informally, it is often meant ironically as a way of disregarding the opinion expressed.
Duly noted in a sentence examplesYour comments about the new building development have been duly noted by the mayor.
The principal was wearied by the complaints, but nonetheless she duly noted them in the file.
Thank you for your comments; we have duly noted them.
Lose and loose have different pronunciations and usually act as different parts of speech.
Lose (single “o”; pronounced [loo-z] with a “z” sound) is a verb that means “fail to win” or “misplace.”
Loose (double “o”; pronounced [loo-s] with a soft “s”) is an adjective or adverb that means “not tight” or “not secure.” When used as a verb, it means “release.”
Examples: Lose in a sentence
Examples: Loose in a sentence
If you lose your passport, it will take several weeks to replace it.
I nearly fell off my bike because the seat was loose.
A true fan will support their team even if they lose.
It was more a loose relationship than a formal partnership.
Payed and paid sound exactly the same, but their spellings and meanings are different.
Payed is the past tense of “pay”, a rare verb that is used in mainly nautical contexts. It usually refers to the act of letting out a length of chain or rope or to the act of coating a boat with waterproof material.
Paid is the past tense of the very common verb “pay” when it means to settle a bill, or to give something as the cost for a course of action.
Examples: Payed in a sentence
Examples: Paid in a sentence
The sailboat had to be payed to cure the leaks.
As the water level dropped in the lock, Andy gradually payed out the rope on the boat.
Gurvinder paid the bill for everybody.
The sergeant paid with her life for her bravery.
NoteSometimes people make the mistake of writing payed because it follows the rule of adding “-ed” to make the past tense, but in the majority of cases, paid is the correct spelling.
When you are researching a topic, you will need to consult and use various types of sources. The most common source types in scholarly writing include:
Books
Academic journals
Newspapers
Websites
Encyclopedias
As your writing process develops, you will probably adapt the types of sources you use. An initial stage of researching definitions and overviews might lead you to a website or encyclopedia. As your research goes deeper you will access books and journals (scholarly sources).
TipQuillBot’s tools can help you during the research and writing process. For example, our Summarizer tool can help you summarize articles or other sources. Also, our Citation Generator can help ensure you are citing your sources correctly.
Both principle and principal have the same pronunciation but their meanings are different.
Principal can be used as a noun to refer to someone in authority, someone who commits a crime, and the capital portion of a loan. As an adjective it means “primary” or “most important.”
Principle is also a noun, and it refers to standards or rules, especially in law, science, or ethics.
Examples: Principal in a sentence
Examples: Principle in a sentence
The school principal was very popular with both students and faculty.
As a matter of principle, Jenny never used the self-service checkout.
The report’s principal conclusions were later questioned by critics.
The scientific principle of conservation of mass states that matter cannot be created or destroyed.
A sentence fragment is a piece of writing that looks like a sentence but is grammatically incomplete. This is normally because it is missing a subject or a verb.
Sentence fragments can usually be spotted quite easily because they do not express a complete thought. They always lack at least one piece of information that is key to understanding the meaning.
