An article is a word that combines with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun.
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9answers
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When should I use “a” vs “an”?
In the following example, is it appropriate to use a or an as the indefinite article, and why?
He ate [insert here] green apple.
I know that in the case of just "apple", it would be "an apple," ...
81
votes
6answers
14k views
Do you use “a” or “an” before acronyms?
99% of the time, I'm clear on when I should use "a" versus "an." There's one case, though, where people & references I respect disagree.
Which of the following would you precede with "a" or "an," ...
45
votes
8answers
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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 ...
52
votes
6answers
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 ...
22
votes
5answers
5k views
Are there any simple rules for choosing the definite vs. indefinite (vs. none) article?
I can’t for the life of me figure out where to use a and where to use the — and where there is no article at all. Is there a simple rule of thumb to memorize?
The standard rule you always hear:
...
19
votes
6answers
7k views
Does one use 'a' or 'an' before the word X-Ray?
I was asking this question on Area 51: "How do I tell if an airport scanner is a X-ray scanner?", but I keep wanting to put an 'an' in front of X-ray because it starts with the 'eh' sound.
So is it ...
7
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
3answers
1k views
“a” or “an” for words that don't start with vowels but sound like they're starting with a vowel
Is it correct to say or write an student or an store?
0
votes
0answers
647 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 ...
14
votes
2answers
589 views
Why don't we use the indefinite article with 'software'?
Generally, one doesn't use the indefinite article with a noun because it's plural, but sometimes you get nouns where, for some reason, the indefinite article isn't used even though the noun is ...
7
votes
2answers
478 views
Are there specific rules to build expressions with or without articles?
In English, there are lots of expressions built using articles like:
at the station
to the cinema
play the piano
have breakfast (no article)
take a bath
take a shower
Are there specific rules or ...
8
votes
1answer
827 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, ...
32
votes
8answers
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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 ...
10
votes
2answers
365 views
Indefinite article in the “An [adjective] [number] [plural noun]” construction
I wasn't sure how best to phrase the title of this question.
I'm interested in constructions of the following form:
An estimated 50 people died in the bombing.
'An estimated' could be ...
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 ...
3
votes
3answers
543 views
“The (Cobra)” vs. “An (elephant)”, articles with nouns denoting a class
[ 1 ] tells on p.5 that "Singular nouns denoting a class" are preceded by the definite article "THE" (Example: "The Cobra is dangerous"), while on page 7 (Table 6. THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE) it tells ...
9
votes
5answers
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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?
6
votes
1answer
633 views
Is pronouncing “The” as in “Thee” still correct in titles?
When saying the title of JRR Tolkien's masterpiece, which is the correct pronunciation (Yes, I know that they're spelled wrong, but I'm trying to emphasize the pronunciation):
Thuh Lord of thuh ...
8
votes
2answers
190 views
“There is X” vs “There is a/an X”
1: There is a reluctance on the part of European companies to buy from American sources.
2: There is an emphasis on the organic roots of spirituality.
3: There is a tendency to make the ...
4
votes
2answers
9k views
4
votes
1answer
717 views
Everyone Else's Lives
It would seem as though this is incorrect, since we each only have one life. Is my intuition correct that it should be everyone else's life and not everyone else's lives?
8
votes
2answers
473 views
Usage of English definite article when referring to generic word
My mother language does not have articles, so I still struggle to choose when to use the indefinte and definite article. The other day, I learned:
"The dog is an animal" is acceptable.
"The iron is ...
8
votes
3answers
455 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 ...
7
votes
1answer
188 views
“You're too clever a man”
You're too clever a man to imagine this.
The above sentence was said by George Galloway, a man of excellent rhetorical skills.
Since he said it, I doubt it's wrong, grammatically. But, I wonder ...
7
votes
2answers
455 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 ...
6
votes
2answers
266 views
Why is “a” necessary before “Mr. X” and “Mrs. Y”?
There is the following sentence in the scene a reputed lawyer, Thomas Cohen gives advice to 16-year old client William Kane, the son of deceased bank owner on the issue of inheritance of his father’s ...
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 ...
3
votes
1answer
251 views
Origin of distinction between “one” and “a/an”?
So I was told that the English articles "a" and "an" have Germanic origins. In German, there is not a distinction between "one" and "a/an". Is there any explanation for the existence of these two ...
2
votes
0answers
339 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?
1
vote
0answers
154 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. ...
1
vote
1answer
9k views
“To have a dinner” vs “to have dinner”: which one is correct?
Does one need to use the article in this case?
1
vote
4answers
795 views
“An RV” or “a RV”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Do you use “a” or “an” before acronyms?
I am writing about Random Variables, which I am abbreviating to RV. Should I write 'an RV' (an Arr-Vee) ...
1
vote
4answers
274 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
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 ...
0
votes
2answers
657 views
When to use inverted word-order like “great an option”? [closed]
I heard this in a movie yesterday:
That is great an option!
Why didn't he say:
That is a great option!
How does grammar desribe such inverted phrases? Where should I use this inverted ...
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 ...
