>> > Though I've never written or spoken "towards,"
>>
>> I wonder if this is one of those UK/USA differences, Judy (like
>> arse/ass)?
>>
>> I'd just naturally say "towards" rather than "toward".
>>
>> Robin
>>
>
> Yes, me too.
>
> I had an American writer friend who always picked me up on 'whilst',
> preferring 'while', and 'among' for 'amongst'. Interesting. He changed my
> use of those words forever. I don't say I never use the 'st' form, but
> each
> time I do I try it both ways to see which is best.
>
> Andrew
>
Never occurred to me that there could be any question of correctness or
otherwise with these or any similar words. I always make the decision each
time based on sound, and also to a certain extent on tone, voice, etc; and
what seems obviously right in one poem may seem just as obviously wrong in
the next.
Incidentally, I was just now trying these word-pairs over aloud, to see
which I would more likely to use in conversation, and I'm now wondering
whether 'while' and 'whilst' do in fact mean the same thing. I think I tend
to use 'while' to denote the temporal sense, 'in the course of which', and
'whilst' to mean something rather more like 'on the other hand'.
joanna
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