Writing for Business - A Whatis.com Blog » deadlines http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business Is your grammar as good as your code? Tue, 21 May 2013 19:44:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 If a deadline’s moved forward is it earlier or later? http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/if-a-deadlines-moved-forward-is-it-earlier-or-later/ http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/if-a-deadlines-moved-forward-is-it-earlier-or-later/#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:30:32 +0000 Ivy Wigmore http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/if-a-deadlines-moved-forward-is-it-earlier-or-later/ Which is correct?
The compliance deadline has been moved forward, so all reporting is due two months _____ than the original date.
a. later
b. earlier

Answer: b

Explanation:
If something is moving towards you — like a deadline — moving it forward will make it closer to you and moving it back will move it farther away.

The Grammarphobia blog, by the authors of Woe is I, has a nice response to this question.

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