Which should you use, the turn of the century or the turning of the century? The turn of something is the point at which something changes or moves in a different direction. The phrase the turn of the century means the time
when one century ends and another begins. Since turn is a noun, the turning of the
century is incorrect.
| Incorrect: | These men mapped and explored over a million
square miles of western Canada at the turning of the
century. |
| Correct: | These men mapped and explored over a million square
miles of western Canada at the turn of the
century. |
