What's the difference between UP and UPWARD?

Question

My English text shows two examples.

1. The numbers indicate that sales are going upward.

2. The sparks from the fire drifted upward and vanished.

Is it possible to substitute UP for UPWARD in these sentences?

How do English speakers use these words?

Answer 1

"Upward" describes a movement in a direction that is above a previous one.

"Our sale figures are moving upward."

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/u...

"Up"  can mean the same thing but can also mean "already in a fixed position above".

"Our sale figures are up on last year's".

http://www.yourdictionary.com/up

The choice is largely determined by what verb is used beforehand.

For instance

"I stayed up all night"

"He spoke up for me"

"She got up early"

(you could not use "upward(s)" here)

After "to drift"," to escalate","to reach" one would use "upward(s)" rather than "up".

Answer 2

Up and upward are often interchangeable words. They are usually adverbs. For example "Move on Up" http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=xTY6Nbl12e... by Curtis Mayfield could also be titled "Move on Upward" but that wouldn't fit in the song very well. In your sentences, however, you could definitely substitute in up for upward.

The two big differences I can think of would be that, firstly, up can also be used as a preposition showing motion. For example, you could say, "I'm going up the stairs," but you would not say "I'm going upward the stairs."

Secondly, upward can be used like an adjective to but up isn't ever used in the same way. You wouldn't be able to substitute up for upward in the sentence, "despite the fluctuation in the price of the company's stock, it generally shows an upward trend." You would not be able to say, "up trend." Maybe a better example would be, "I want to go in the upward direction." You wouldn't be able to say "up direction."

In addition, when you get into more colloquial speech, you start having more verb-like uses of the word up. For example, to "up the ante" means to raise the stakes. To "one up" someone means to outdo someone.

My advice would be where either could fit, use up rather than upward. It's the more common and natural way.

In Sum:

When something is going up (adverb), use either.

When something is going up (preposition) something, use up.

When something is an upward (adjective) something, use upward.

Answer 3

Chris Hansen is wrong. 'Moving' is the verb in his example sentence.

There is a difference between the two, but it is hard to describe, because in any example, both words could be used. If I were to say anything, it would be that perhaps, 'upward' is a more general term, indicating a direction which is vaguely above, whereas 'up' has more of a direct feeling, a kind of indication of the area directly above.

Answer 4

Up is a noun and upward is a verb.

For example:

Look up.

i am moving upward.

Answer 5

Up is an adjective, it means a direction.

Upward means an "motion that is continuously going up", it is an adverb - adverb is a word that modifies a verb, adjective or another adverb.

In sentence 1 : yes you can substitute UP for UPWARD.

The numbers indicate that sales are going up.

In sentence2 : it's ok, you can replace UP with UPWARD. It

The sparks from the fire drifted up and vanished.

But, the original "upwards" will sound much better if you want to sound right and make sense.

Because you are talking about the fire on a continuous motion going upwards. In sentence 1, you can substitute with UP because there is the verb ,"going", before the word UPWARD, so it's already suggesting a moving motion [a verb] to grammatically assist the word "UP" , so "going up" = upwards.

Answer 6

both can be used ,they mean the same just shorter ,the longer version usually used by the upper class