In Regard to Your Letter…

In Regard to Your Letter†¦ In Regard to Your Letter In Regard to Your Letter By Maeve Maddox As both noun and verb, the word regard has numerous meanings and uses in English. Sometimes it is correctly used in the plural; sometimes not. For example, in the polite formula Give my regards to your family, regard is correctly rendered in the plural. In this context, regards means affectionate or respectful feelings. In the expressions with regard to, in regard of, and in regard to, however, adding s to regard is nonstandard usage. The following examples from the web illustrate the error: Irving Weighing Options In Regards To Draft I have a question in regards to joining the Navy. If the request is not related to a particular product or is in regards to multiple products, select the first option With regards to others who posted early because of the same issue Many speakers and writers do add the s in these contexts, so if you want to do so, youll have plenty of company. However, if you are choosy about the company you keep, you may wish to consider what the respected writing guides have to say about in regards to. The Chicago Manual of Style places in regards to in its section on good usage versus common usage: in regard to. This is the phrase, not in regards to. Try a single-word substitute instead: about, regarding, concerning. The Oxford English Dictionary lists in regards to, but labels it regional and nonstandard. The Columbia Guide to Standard American English (1993) accepts In and with regard to, regarding, and as regards as Standard, but firmly declares that with regards to is Nonstandard. Paul Brians at Washington State University has no patience with it either: Business English is deadly enough without scrambling it. As regards your downsizing plan is acceptable, if stiff. In regard to and with regard to are also correct. But in regards to is nonstandard. You can convey the same idea with in respect to or with respect to, orsimplest of alljust plain regarding. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Types of LanguageHow to Pronounce MobileHow to Address Your Elders, Your Doctor, Young Children... and Your CEO