Learn English – Choosing the right word between front/ahead/forward

differenceword-usage

Consider these expressions:

The place is smelling very bad, the smell seems to be coming from the front/ahead

When I got off the car, I saw a very fast car coming towards me from the front/ahead.

Can you please come forward/ahead a bit,I won't have to talk so loud.

I am always confused about the difference between these three words: front/ahead/forward. Can anyone help me understand these expressions?

Best Answer

Ordinarily, ahead means further away, in the direction the speaker (or addressee) is travelling. But no-one appears to actually be moving in OP's examples, so we have to consider other possibilities.

Forward means in the direction the speaker (or addressee) is facing.

The front means either the side of some object nearest to the speaker, or the side from which people usually approach/see the object.

In fact, ahead would do for #1, but only if "the place" refers to an area you're travelling through at the time. If "the place" in #1 is, for example, a house, the front (or the back, the side) would be fine.

For #2, ahead could refer to the direction you were travelling before you got out of (not off) the car. The front doesn't make a lot of sense, because there's nothing to suggest the front of what [object].

I can't see how to contrive a context where ahead makes sense for #3. Come/move forward seems most likely here.

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