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01This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Ramatulay in Senegal.
02Here is Ramatulay's question.
03Dear Teacher, Thank you and all the VOA Learning English team for their great work.
04My question is, what is the difference between regarding and regardless?
05Thank you for your comments, Ramatulay, and I am happy to answer your question.
06Both words are very useful in speaking and writing.
07That's because the words give us a quick way to connect to other ideas.
08Regarding simply means what someone is talking or writing about.
09Consider the following two examples.
10We have all the information we need about the project.
11We have all the information we need regarding the project.
12The word regarding in the second example means the same thing as the preposition about in the first example.
13We generally use the word about more than regarding.
14However, it is more common to use regarding in formal speech than in informal communication.
15Also, the expression in regard to means the same thing as regarding.
16Here are some examples.
17In regard to the price, I think it was too expensive.
18In regard to what you said, I don't think we know all the facts yet.
19Note that we use a noun, noun phrase, or noun clause after the expression in regard to.
20Also, you will sometimes hear native speakers say in regards to instead of in regard to.
21Here is something you may find interesting when we compare the expression in regard to and the verb regard.
22The verb regard is a somewhat formal way to say look at.
23So, just as we can direct someone's attention to something by having them look at it, the expression in regard to directs us to something we are talking about.
24The word regardless expresses the idea that one or more things do not affect the current situation or what we want to express now.
25When you look at the word, you will see that it ends with the suffix less.
26This suffix means the same thing as the word without.
27So, regardless means without regard to.
28Consider the following examples.
29Regardless of religion, all people want happiness.
30All people want happiness regardless of religion.
31Notice that you can use the word regardless either before or after the sentence or phrase it modifies.
32For our readers and listeners, what are your questions about American English?
33Regardless of your level of English, we want to hear from you.
34Send us an email at learningenglish at voanews.com.
35And please let us know where you are from, too.
36And that's Ask a Teacher.
37I'm Andrew Smith.
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