Further vs Farther: Use in Sentences

Today’s topic will be dealing with the proper usage of the words “further” vs “farther.”  To learn how these two words differ using sentence examples and various tips to help remember the difference between the two.

It might happen every day while reading a newspaper, reading books, or any magazine that would lead to this confusion between the English words – ‘Further’ and ‘Farther’.

We have been learning about confusing English words lately. So What’s new today? So today, we will try to get you out of this continuing conundrum.

further versus farther: How to Choose

Let’s start by defining both the words and looking at one example of each.

FurtherFarther
Definition : It means over a greater expanse of space or time; for a long way.Definition : It means a great distance.
For Example : Before we go any further with the project, I think we should make sure that there’s enough money to fund it.For Example : How much farther is it to the gymkhana?

After understanding what they actually mean let’s move ahead with further discussion.

The quick and easy tip here is to use “farther” for physical distance and “further” for metaphorical, or figurative, distance. This is the basic difference that will clear all your doubts. It will become easy to remember because ‘farther’ has the word “far” in it, and “far” obviously relates to physical distance.

These examples will help:

Just imagine Marie and Olive are flying to a remote location far, far away, but gets bored by traveling and starts bugging and annoying Marie. “How much farther do we have to go?'” she keeps asking in despair.

Now, in this example, you can see that Olive has used the word ‘farther’ to describe the physical distance.

If Marie gets frustrated and irritated with Olive, which she surely will, she would respond something like this, “If you complain any further, I’m going to kick you out the airlock.”

Here is the second example, Marie used the word ‘further’ because she isn’t talking about physical distance. She’s describing a figurative distance: the extent Olive’s complaining.

Examples of Further and Farther in Sentences

Now let’s understand the difference by using both the words in different sentences.

  1. The archaeologists’ plan was to excavate the site further into the hillside.
  2. How much farther is it to Denver Cloacal?
  3. I really hope he doesn’t want to go any further with this.
  4. We did not plan to run any farther than three miles every day.
  5. This project will keep the company going further into debt.
  6. Jacob said the bookstore is no more than five miles farther.
  7. We can’t go further without getting some sleep.
  8. The astronauts made it to the point to travel even farther into space during their last mission.

Final Tip: If you still can’t decide which one to use, you’re safer using further because farther has some restrictions.

So, we understood that grammar lays the groundwork or the foundation for effective communication.  Just like a jumbled telephone wire can cause static attenuation and disturbances in the call, improper use of grammar and words will likewise affect the meaning and clarity of an intended message.

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