Tagged Questions
0
votes
0answers
55 views
When to use “a” vs “an” [duplicate]
I know the general rule is to use "a" if the word following starts with a consonant, and "an" if it starts with a vowel. I found this page that lists some exceptions: ...
-2
votes
1answer
128 views
“I am puzzled by conflicting opinion on [a] coffee.”
I am puzzled by conflicting opinion on a coffee.
I am puzzled by conflicting opinion on coffee.
These sentences are from a syllabus book. And I don't know which one is correct.
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?
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
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
344 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 ...
2
votes
2answers
95 views
Negatives with “a” or “any”
Are both these sentences correct?
There isn’t a cat in the kitchen.
There isn’t any cat in the kitchen.
-1
votes
2answers
576 views
“Go on excursion” vs. “go on an excursion” [closed]
Is it grammatical to say, "The class is going on excursion"? My thought is that it would be preferable to say "The class is going on an excursion".
My colleague thinks that the first sentence is ...
1
vote
2answers
653 views
“It is bad practice …” vs. “It is a bad practice …”
"At work, it is bad practice to go to lunch early."
"At work, it is a bad practice to go to lunch early."
The noun "practice" is both countable and uncountable. So, could both sentences be ...
2
votes
2answers
986 views
“A hundred percent” vs. “hundred percent”
Which sentence is grammatically correct:
I'm a hundred percent sure
I'm hundred percent sure
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
3
votes
2answers
283 views
Phrasing of “What knowledge is required [at/in] [a] university?”
In British English, how should I properly write a sentence like
What knowledge is required at university?
Basically, I want to ask what knowledge is required for study at a university or in a ...
3
votes
4answers
214 views
Dialog with an ok and cancel button
I'd be interested in your analysis of the following sentence (from program documentation):
... dialog with an ok and cancel button... [correct]
Would be correct. However, why not:
... dialog ...
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 ...
-4
votes
1answer
102 views
Why don't we use the indefinite article in “what hassle”?
Why don't we use the indefinite article in "what hassle"?
I think hassle is used as noun here which means "Irritating or inconvenience". What exactly is the problem with "what a hassle" (as hassle 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 ...
3
votes
2answers
220 views
Which is correct: To “take a medical leave” or to “take medical leave”?
According to the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary and Cambridge Dictionaries Online, leave is an uncountable noun when it is used to mean "a period of time away from work for a holiday/vacation or ...
4
votes
2answers
8k views
9
votes
5answers
19k views
Which is correct — “a year” or “an year”?
The word year when pronounced starts with a phonetic sound of e which is a vowel sound making it eligible for being preceded by an. Yet, we tend to write a year. Why?
3
votes
3answers
1k views
“such a day” or “such day”?
It's such a nice day today!
I'm interested in the usage of the indefinite article. I know this sentence is correct. We use an indefinite article in exclamations with countable nouns.
But the ...
0
votes
0answers
2k views
“A heroic” or “An heroic”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“A historic…” or “An historic…”?
I have heard and read this combination both ways:
It was a heroic act.
It was an heroic act.
...
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 ...
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.
8
votes
1answer
799 views
Definite article with proper nouns, titles followed by a common noun
Over time I developed this rule where if a title or a proper name is followed by a common noun that represents the class of the entity I am referring to, then I use the definite article. In Example 1, ...
43
votes
8answers
9k views
When should I use “a” versus “an” in front of a word beginning with the letter h?
A basic grammar rule is to use an instead of a before a vowel sound. Given that historic is not pronounced with a silent h, I use “a historic”. Is this correct? What about heroic? Should be “It was a ...
