The English language has so many phrases and words that sound similar to each other. There are some phrases that even have multiple variations, such as in regard to and in regards to. When it comes to these two phrases, there are differences that you should be aware of.
In Regard To
“In regard to” is a phrase that works as a preposition in a sentence. We use “in regard to” when we are referring to a topic that has already been discussed. We often use it when we want to change topic and go back to a topic that might not have been fully developed.
Regard means to give attention or concern to something. It can also be considered a protective interest in terms of care. For example, she doesn’t take anything seriously in regard to her health.
This phrase is basically used as a synonym for other prepositions like about, in, and for.
“In regard to” is typically the standard spelling of the phrase. There are different variations of the phrase, including “with regard to” and even just “regarding”.
Examples
In regard to the break-in last night, the police are performing an investigation.
There is nothing to say in regard to the false accusations.
I want to talk to you in regard to the incident that occurred.
In Regards To
“In regards to” is a second variation of the phrase above. “In regards to” is basically the plural version of the phrase. This version is used way less frequently and isn’t considered to be correct in any situation.
The proper way to use the word regards is by itself or as part of a completely different phrase.
“Regards” most commonly means to send best wishes or consider something in a specific way. It is not proper to say the statement “in regards to”, you would say “with regards” or “regards”.
The phrase “in regards to” has slowly been gaining popularity, but it should still be considered a grammatical error.
How to Remember
If you are stuck between choosing “in regard to” or “in regards to”, you should always use “in regard to”. “In regards to” is not considered to be proper.
An easy way to remember the difference is that “in regards to” has an extra, unnecessary S. Think of this S as representing the word silly. This refers to how silly it is to use the phrase “in regards to”.
Send Your Regards or Send Your Regard?
As if the phrases weren’t already confusing enough, this phrase gets thrown into the mix. For this phrase to be proper, you will say that you “send your regards”.
This statement refers to sending a greeting or passing along affectionate and warm thoughts to another person.
The best way to remember this version is to think of the song “Give My Regards to Broadway”.
With Regards To or With Regard To?
Bringing even more confusion to the table, we have “with regards” to and “with regard to”. Grammatically, these can both be correct depending on what you are talking about. “With regard to” is making a reference to something else. “With regards to” is sending well wishes or affection.
One way to remember this statement is to think of the S in “regards” as standing for sympathy or support. You send someone off “with regards” to things getting better, or you send someone “with regards” to their hard work.
Examples
I sent her off with regards to her mother, who has been sick lately.
With regard to what we are having for dinner, I prefer pizza.
I sent a note to his parents with regard to his grades that are dropping quickly.
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