Booher's Rules of Business Grammar - Dianna Booher 2009

Learn this backwards and forwards
Modifier mishaps

THE UNNECESSARY —S

Save the extra —s on these directions: not backwards, towards, anyways, or anywheres. Correct: backward, toward, anyway, anywhere. The extra letter has gone the way of the typewriter, keypunch, slide rule, eight-track, and percolator.

Incorrect:

The supervisor stepped backwards and fell from the platform.

Correct:

The supervisor stepped backward and fell from the platform.

Incorrect:

My boss believes that winning this contract does not matter anyways in the long-term relationship with this client.

Correct:

My boss believes that winning this contract does not matter anyway in the long-term relationship with this client.

Memory tip

The world has become too crowded for the extraneous—like extra —s’s.