ShmoopTube

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Further versus Farther, a la Shmoop. Some teachers think that the farther away

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you sit from the board, the further your mind will wander during class.

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Like anyone can blame you for taking a mental vacation when you should be learning the grammatical

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difference between “farther” and “further”.

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And, yes, there is a difference. Use “farther” when talking about physical

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distance...

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...and “further” when talking about metaphorical or figurative distance.

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For example, New York City is farther from Los Angeles than San Francisco is.

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Jill was farther from the delicious apple pie than Jack. Poor Jill. No pie for her.

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Then there's “further”.

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Jack is further from achieving his dietary goals than Jill.

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Must be all that pie. Now, there are times when you may not know

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which one you should use…

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For example, would you say, “I'm farther along in Game of Thrones than Sue”...

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...where you're talking about pages read as a measure of distance?

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Or, would you say, “I'm further along in Game of Thrones than Sue”...

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...where you're thinking of the figurative distance you've covered in the story?

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In ambiguous cases like this, the answer is...

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...pick your poison. Seriously, you can use either “farther” or “further”, whichever

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you prefer. But in general, just remember…

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...use “farther” when talking about physical distance...

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….and “further” when talking about metaphorical or figurative distance.

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And, with that grammar rule out of the way, feel free to return to your imaginary trip

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to the black sand beaches of Hawaii.

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