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Miscellaneous See other Miscellaneous Articles Title: English Lesson 16: Correct Use of A and An Trying to figure out whether to use the indefinite article a or an before a noun can be tricky for inexperienced English users. Many people seem to think that you should use a before a consonant and an before a vowel, but it is not quite that simple. The actual rule is that a is used before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound — these do not always match up with the letter itself! For example, one of the most common mistakes I have been seeing recently is the use of “a hour” instead of “an hour”. The latter is correct because the word hour actually begins with an o (vowel) sound; the h is silent. Conversely, we would say “a Ouija board” instead of “an Ouija board” because Ouija is pronounced with a w (consonant) sound. This rule also extends to acronyms. For example, I have lost count of the number of times that I have cringed whenever I see someone write “a HYIP” on a forum or blog. This should be written “an HYIP” because the letter H is pronounced with an a (vowel) sound. However, if we were to write the acronym out we would write “a High Yield Investment Program” because the consonant h sound is now being pronounced as part of the word high. Acronyms: A vs. An Usage Before A Given Letter Because this rule can be tricky, especially for people who are hearing impaired and therefore may be unaccustomed to hearing what the letters sound like, I have attempted to clarify things below by first listing all of the letters that are initially spoken with a vowel sound and therefore require an before them if the letter is used in an acronym. All other letters are initially spoken with a consonant sound and will require a; these are listed in the second line below: If the acronym begins with these letters, use an: A, E, F, H, I, L, M, N, O, R, S, X If the acronym begins with these letters, use a: B, C, D, G, J, K, P, Q, T, U, V, W, Y, Z For example, we would write an FBI agent, an SEO, and an LP member, but we would write a YMCA member, a QC inspector, and a USB port. Now we can look at some examples from the Internet where a and an have been used incorrectly: Incorrect: New teeth in a hour is worth smiling about — headline of an online newspaper article at living.scotsman.com Correct: New teeth in an hour is worth smiling about Incorrect: I’m a idiot for buying this book! — reviewer “Kimberly” at search.barnesandnoble.com Correct: I’m an idiot for buying this book! Incorrect: Our Engineering and Technical division is currently working with a leading producer of steel related products in Plymouth, MN which has an immediate need for an Quality Technician. — job posting at aol.careerbuilder.com Correct: Our Engineering and Technical division is currently working with a leading producer of steel related products in Plymouth, MN which has an immediate need for a Quality Technician. Incorrect: I certify that I am an United States resident licensed to practice law in Wisconsin, and that all of the information I have provided is true. — Notary Public application for Wisconsin attorneys Correct: I certify that I am a United States resident licensed to practice law in Wisconsin, and that all of the information I have provided is true. Quick Summary: If in doubt about whether to use a or an, simply pronounce the word that is to appear after the article. If the first sound pronounced is a vowel, use an; otherwise, use a.
Poster Comment: This is something I have been noticing for some time. Many otherwise intelligent--some of them probably genius level intelligent--continually get this wrong and it is not complicated. At least I don't think it is. Anyway, just posting it as a "public service." >(;^{]
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#2. To: James Deffenbach (#0)
i notice the most commonly misused is its and it's. so many writers use the contraction of it is (it's) for the possessive its. another thing i've been noticing lately is how often people add an apostrophe for a word that is plural and not possessive.
Yeah, I've seen a number of coffee shops that sell "Donut's." From what I've seen online, it's the possessive adjectives that are more commonly misused. "A" and "an" are almost never misused by native speakers, or should I say native writers. It's "your car" but "You're welcome." and "its (the dog's) collar" but "It's hot." and "their house" but "They're leaving." The other most common mis-usage that I see on forums and such is "then" for "than" in comparative clauses and phrases: "It's hotter than I thought it would be." or "It's cooler than yesterday."
More homonym madness with possessives and contractions. LOL. I bet English teachers get really depressed when they browse around the interweb. They must feel like total failures.
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