student asking question

What kind of nuance is "towards"? I think it should be "in" or "of".

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Although "in" or "of" technically works here, "towards" has been used to signify the process of a change occurring. When we talk about trends, "towards" is often used because it is used to signal a shift or change towards (moving to) something else. Ex: There has been a recent trend towards biking instead of driving. Ex: More awareness about climate change has started a shift towards more eco-friendly behavior.

Popular Q&As

04/16

Complete the expression with a quiz!