Tagged Questions
3
votes
3answers
56 views
Use of the definite article “the” before “church”
I was in a Teacher's selection for a school in my country, and one of the coordinators said that she heard a mistake from another teacher that was unacceptable. I tried to figure out why was that, but ...
0
votes
0answers
64 views
“An A and B” vs. “an A and a B” [closed]
Which one is correct if both A and B are singular — "an A and B" or "an A and a B"?
I am confused because I have seen both cases.
2
votes
2answers
119 views
“He feared a U.S. invasion” vs. “He feared U.S. invasion”
It it accurate to say this?
He feared a U.S. invasion.
Or should I say,
He feared U.S. invasion.
I'm trying to figure out when to place "a" in front of the U.S. when U.S. comes with a noun ...
-2
votes
2answers
117 views
Correct usage of indefinite articles 'a' and 'an' infront of acronyms [duplicate]
I wonder what is the correct usage, my assumption is that it is based on how you pronounce it, like for example:
an SQL query => pronounced an ess cue ell query ,
an XP OS => pronounced an ex pee oh ...
1
vote
0answers
137 views
Guide to English Articles [closed]
I'm looking for a full and complete guide to English articles like THE, A, AN, (none).
Can anyone recommend me something like that? I'd like to finally learn this and never make a mistake again. ...
4
votes
5answers
96 views
Room Temperature: Article “A” or Not?
Below, “room temperature” takes the article “a” in one case but not the other. “Temperature” seems like a countable noun, so why no article in the first case? What is the grammar that is working here? ...
0
votes
1answer
74 views
“Is there a best X?” — why “a” if it's the superlative degree?
Which of the following is grammatical?
Is there a best school?
Is there the best school?
I'm sure that the first one is right. But why?
10
votes
4answers
832 views
Why did Obama use “a” in “… to hear a King proclaim that …”
From Obama's second inaugural speech:
We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths – that all of us are created equal – is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our ...
1
vote
1answer
108 views
“Seems like an overkill” vs. “seems like overkill” [closed]
I’m wondering if an article is used with the word overkill:
Something seems like an overkill (to me).
Something seems like overkill (to me).
Which is grammatical?
0
votes
2answers
104 views
“This is a song by Lady Gaga” or “this is the song by Lady Gaga”? [closed]
Which article is appropriate in the blank below, a or the?
— What are you singing? I've heard the song many times.
— This is __ song by Lady Gaga.
1
vote
1answer
131 views
“In a book store near my school” vs. “in the book store near my school” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Are there any simple rules for article usage (“a” vs “the” vs none)
Which article should I use in the following situations?
There is only one book store near my ...
0
votes
0answers
37 views
“a” vs. “an” when the following word is in a bracket [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“A/An” preceding a parenthetical statement
Let's say I send a text to someone saying:
Can you get me a coffee?
Over here, I use a as the following word doesn't ...
-1
votes
3answers
199 views
What article should be used in such sentences?
What article should be used in the following sentence?
He was English by [a/the/] blood.
I feel there should be a zero article here, but I was taught that the zero article is impossible in ...
1
vote
2answers
96 views
Is “a” mandatory in “I'm a whole new (Name)”?
Let's say, your name is Kate and you say "I'm a whole new Kate!"
Now, can you drop "a" and say "I'm whole new Kate!"?
Or is it mandatory to keep it?
0
votes
5answers
342 views
“Is of the view that” vs. “is of a view that” [closed]
Is there any significant difference in the meanings of sentence 1 and sentence 2 below?
Mr. Jones is of a view that the project is unnecessary.
Mr. Jones is of the view that the project is ...
0
votes
0answers
32 views
Indefinite article for words starting with “E” An/A Ensemble [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When should I use “a” vs “an”?
which article should be used with the words which start with the letter "E" such as "Ensemble" ?
0
votes
1answer
421 views
Repetition of articles in a sentence
The following sentences use more than one adjective for a single noun.
She has a black and white cat.
It implies that the person involved here has only one cat which is black and white coloured.
...
2
votes
6answers
275 views
“Suffer from a headache” vs. “suffer from the headache” [closed]
I am not sure which article to use in the following context:
She has been suffering from a headache.
She has been suffering from the headache.
Please clear up my doubt.
0
votes
2answers
122 views
Why the indefinite article in “have a good time”?
Why do we use the indefinite article in the expression "have a good time"?
Time is an uncountable noun, and we never say "what a beautiful weather!", but "what beautiful weather it is!"
Could ...
0
votes
0answers
17 views
”An SDET” or ”A SDET”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is it “a SSD” or “an SSD”?
Do you use “a” or “an” before acronyms?
What is the correct form of the article for the SDET (Software Development ...
0
votes
0answers
34 views
'a faq' or 'an faq'? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Do you use “a” or “an” before acronyms?
Reading an answer's observation and associated comments, I am curious which form is preferred and why, or ...
3
votes
1answer
113 views
“Professor of entomology” or “a professor of entomology”
Which is correct?
This is Dr. Yang Jeng-Tze, professor of entomology.
This is Dr. Yang Jeng-Tze, a professor of entomology.
0
votes
1answer
120 views
Article or no article: “at the price of a higher workload”?
The finer points (the infamous 10%?) of when to use indefinite articles still manage to elude me sometimes. Does the article "a" belong in the following sentence or not?
However, [foo] yields ...
-3
votes
1answer
1k views
The <noun> of <noun>
I wonder about the the <noun> of <noun> template. For example, the customers of a movie theater or the possessor of a car. The question is "Is it a stable rule in English to put "the" ...
1
vote
0answers
61 views
How to properly use brackets and articles when the article is changed by the bracketed word? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“A/An” preceding a parenthetical statement
I was just posting a question on another Stack Exchange website. And I ran into the following sentence:
How do ...
5
votes
2answers
258 views
Indefinite Article Preceding Noun “Wind”
It's common to say "a gentle wind", but is it OK to say "a wind"?
I just noticed that there's a novel named "A Wind in the Door", in which case I guess "A" could be used here due to the modifying "in ...
1
vote
0answers
76 views
Should I use “a” or “an”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When should I use “a” vs “an”?
Which one of the the following is correct?
a F-test
an F-test
The F-test is pronounced as "ef test".
0
votes
0answers
71 views
Should I use `a SSTP` or `an SSTP`? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Do you use “a” or “an” before acronyms?
First of all let me clarify that SSTP is an abbreviation of a technical term.
I want to know, when using ...
8
votes
4answers
649 views
Why does English have an indefinite article? [closed]
I've seen many non-native speakers of English not making use of indefinite articles, presumably since their first language did not contain them. Thinking about this, and about the fact that even in ...
32
votes
8answers
2k views
Why is there no plural indefinite article?
The takes either a singular or a plural subject. A/an only takes the singular.
When we pluralize a noun preceded by an indefinite article, we simply drop the article (sometimes replacing it with ...
0
votes
1answer
120 views
Correct English: “An L.V.” or “a L.V.”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“a” or “an” for words that don't start with vowels but sound like they're starting with a vowel
Do you use “a” or “an” before acronyms?
Does one use 'a' or ...
3
votes
2answers
910 views
A or an XML report? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Do you use “a” or “an” before acronyms?
Does one use 'a' or 'an' before the word 'X-Ray'?
Quite simply, should a sentence read "a XML report" ...
1
vote
1answer
110 views
“a” or “an” in this situation? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicates:
“A” vs. “An” in writing vs. pronunciation
Use of “a” versus “an”
I know that "an" should be used when a word is ...
8
votes
3answers
444 views
Is it correct to say “one out of *a* possible four”?
I am curious if it is correct to say "one out of a possible four".
This is what I found in a publication:
Discrete level (one out of a possible
four), corresponding to a range of
safety ...
1
vote
2answers
357 views
Should it be “a established” or “an established”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Use of “a” versus “an”
I have always been using a established.
The CPM is a established theory that explains.........
But when reading ...
2
votes
0answers
326 views
How did the definite / indefinite articles develop? [closed]
Russian, I believe, has no definite or indefinite article. How did it develop in Latin languages, particularly English? Would English be much poorer without it?
0
votes
0answers
452 views
which is correct “a ear” or “an ear”, conversely “a year” or “an year” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Which is correct- “A Year” or “An Year”?
Use of “a” versus “an”
A(n) ear vs. a(n) year in speaking is very confusing, please clarify.
1
vote
1answer
1k views
What is the rule for using “a” or “an” in a sentence? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicates:
“A user” or “an user”?
Use of “a” versus “an”
If I remember correctly back to my school days, the rule is to use "a" ...
0
votes
2answers
120 views
“A first post” — makes sense or not?
I once knew a person who titled the first post in his blog, "A first post."
It was immediately pointed out to him that correct usage is "The first post." To that he responded: Well, every blog has ...
7
votes
2answers
448 views
Definite or indefinite article in “the/a devil's advocate”
I can't quite figure out which of the following expressions is more correct:
He is the devil's advocate.
He is a devil's advocate.
He is playing devil's advocate.
The combination of an article ...
0
votes
4answers
128 views
Should I use the article 'a' here? Or nothing at all?
Which variant is better?
We have a chance to get new experience talking to new people.
or
We have a chance to get a new experience talking to new people.
0
votes
0answers
646 views
“A user” or “an user”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Use of “a” versus “an”
“A” becomes “an” before a word beginning with a vowel, does this apply to “u”?
Is it “a ...
4
votes
2answers
8k views
3
votes
0answers
1k views
“An RPG” or “a RPG”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When should I use “a” vs “an”?
Do you use “a” or “an” before acronyms?
Does one use 'a' or 'an' before the word X-Ray?
Hello people, English is not ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
Can I start a sentence with a singular noun with no article?
For example, which one of the following sentences can I use?
Consumer of Product X needs to fill out a rebate form […].
Consumers of Product X need to […].
A consumer of Product X needs to ...
1
vote
4answers
272 views
Is it “comedy” or “a comedy”?
For example in this sentence, do we need an article before comedy?
Improv is essentially [a] comedy.
0
votes
0answers
167 views
A becomes an before a word beginning with a vowel, does this apply to u? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Use of “a” versus “an”
Is it “a uniform” or “an uniform”
In spoken English we do say:
He is an unhappy person
But I ...
5
votes
4answers
5k views
Is it “a uniform” or “an uniform”? [duplicate]
On a Physics specification, it says:
6.7 Know how to use two permanent magnets to produce a uniform magnetic field pattern.
Isn't it "produce an uniform magnetic field", or is the existing ...
49
votes
5answers
2k views
“A/An” preceding a parenthetical statement
When a/an precedes a parenthetical aside (sometimes seen in informal/conversational writing), should the vowel rule depend on the first word in parentheses, or the next word in the "regular" flow of ...
3
votes
2answers
123 views
“Ate cheeseburger” or “ate a cheeseburger”?
Which of the following is correct?
Ate a cheese burger last night.
Ate cheese burger last night.
