I thought I used to know when to use which and now I don’t. An idiots guide anyone?
(and no, in the grand scheme of things it probably doesn’t matter, but I’d still like to know).

Lazy linguists use the internet, ahem …

The two forms come from the fact that “to head” may be used transitively or intransitively.

“To head,” used transitively, means “to set the course of,” and is usually applied in navigation (e.g., “to head a ship + [direction]”). “Headed” is an adjective formed from the past participle of the transitive verb (as is the case for many adjectives). We may combine this adjective with the direction of travel in a passive voice construction. –> I am headed to/for/towards/etc. + [place, direction]

To head, used intransitively, means “to point or proceed in a particular direction,” and “to be heading” is the present progressive conjugation of the intransitive verb.

Or listen to funny bearded man here … 😯 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hlpNpI7LiQ

I think you can use them interchangeably in many situations.

“I was headed towards….”

“I was heading towards….”

Guardian Style Guide doesn’t mention it.

Headed is the past participle, and is used with past simple and simple perfect tenses and simple passive tenses.
Heading is the gerund and used in continuous tenses and as subject of sentence and after prepositions.

Past and present tense??

Gan or Gannin

“Heading” can be the present participle and the gerund. I’m heading for the pole (present participle). The heading is north (gerund). I’ve headed north every year for years (past participle).

#crosses fingers#

😕

Still confused, but a little less so 😀

Thanks folks

Gan or Gannin

And when you’ve been where you were headed and are coming back you would be ganyam.

🙂

Headed is the past participle, and is used with past simple (We headed towards the mountains during yesterday’s ride.) and simple perfect tenses (We have headed this way before)and simple passive tenses (intr vb so no passive).
Heading is the gerund and used in continuous tenses (We were/are heading towards….) and as subject of sentence (Heading to the mountains on a sunny day is wonderful) and after prepositions (Check the lights are working before heading out).

Better?
Ex-TEFL Teacher.

Cheers DS. Fog is clearing. The main problem is that I was never taught proper English grammar

I use ‘commence forthwith’ and ‘voyage yonder’ personally.

Using “towards” (we are headed towards, we are heading towards) they’re interchangeable. Although “headed” sounds more American, to me at least.

The main problem is that I was never taught proper English grammar

Me neither, which is quite worrying. 😳
To head is quite a difficult verb to illustrate with as it has two meanings and different grammar status, one is transisitve the other intransitive which determines the passive usage.
I have also noticed a not so subtle change in the language in my 10 years away, even the correct grammar rules would appear to be wrong…
Sorry mogrim, but grammatically “we are headed towards” is wrong, whether its usage is acceptable or not is a different debate. Intr verb no have passive form.