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Okay. I am Asian. We were taught about proper way to use A and an, in my country.
As far as I know you use a for words beginning with consonants and an for words beginning with vowels. It's THAT simple.
Fast forward to today I am dumb founded that TV reporters, or any reporter for that matter and even some people here, use AN for ANY word not considering the A, an rule I grew up to know. I mean what gives.
The most common used sentence now that boggles me is - An history.
It has always been - A history, to me, coz well I know how to follow rules.
LOL.
I really just wonder if they change the rules on how to use An, most particularly?
Okay. I am Asian. We were taught about proper way to use A and an, in my country.
As far as I know you use a for words beginning with consonants and an for words beginning with vowels. It's THAT simple.
Fast forward to today I am dumb founded that TV reporters, or any reporter for that matter and even some people here, use AN for ANY word not considering the A, an rule I grew up to know. I mean what gives.
The most common used sentence now that boggles me is - An history.
It has always been - A history, to me, coz well I know how to follow rules.
LOL.
I really just wonder if they change the rules on how to use An, most particularly?
As a native English speaker.... yet a college level English taught speaker... I concur. It seems that there is a clear cut writing style rule that says before a consonant it should be "a" and with a vowel it should be "an." However there are also exceptions! (The norm in the English language are exceptions!) For example....
An hour or a hour... I would say an hour is correct because the sound is similar to "our" which starts with a vowel.
An herb or a herb... depends on how your pronounce herb. If you vowelize (not even a word but serves it's purpose) the h then it counts as a vowel verbally... however, technically you should write it as "a herb" due to the rules.
An honor or a honor... You get the point.
Speech rules and writing rules seem to contradict each other. I would say "an honor" but might write "a honor" so I understand your confusion.
It would be 'a' history, but it would be 'an' historical.
I disagree... I would say "a history" and "a historical" because the H is vocalized whereas the H in hour or honor are not vocalized thus the "an honor."
As a native English speaker.... yet a college level English taught speaker... I concur. It seems that there is a clear cut writing style rule that says before a consonant it should be "a" and with a vowel it should be "an." However there are also exceptions! (The norm in the English language are exceptions!) For example....
An hour or a hour... I would say an hour is correct because the sound is similar to "our" which starts with a vowel.
An herb or a herb... depends on how your pronounce herb. If you vowelize (not even a word but serves it's purpose) the h then it counts as a vowel verbally... however, technically you should write it as "a herb" due to the rules.
An honor or a honor... You get the point.
Speech rules and writing rules seem to contradict each other. I would say "an honor" but might write "a honor" so I understand your confusion.
Concur 1000% I was gonna give those exception to the rules but thanks for doing it for me. Oh I am not confused at all. I always write it as:
An honor
An herb
An hour
Actually those reporters might be the ones confused with these exception to the rule.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tia 914
Isn't English a fun language? lol
It would be 'a' history, but it would be 'an' historical.
Ok... yes why is that? For me, following my rules and the exception to the rules in the above quoted post, it should be:
'a' historical
Since it's not a silent h. But I really would like to know the explanation why it should be 'an' historical?
I disagree... I would say "a history" and "a historical" because the H is vocalized whereas the H in hour or honor are not vocalized thus the "an honor."
Yep. That's why I said. They MUST be confused. And now I really thought they change the rule or something. Glad to know, I am not the only one who knows the A, an rule.
I know my A, an rule VERY well. Thanks to my High School Teachers.
A is for words beginning with a consonant sound, an for words that begin with a vowel sound. Hour begins with a vowel sound, even though the first letter is a vowel.
Yep. That's why I said. They MUST be confused. And now I really thought they change the rule or something. Glad to know, I am not the only one who knows the A, an rule.
I know my A, an rule VERY well. Thanks to my High School Teachers.
Yes! But the controversy extends to words like "user." Is it "an user" (because it is actually a vowel) or is it "a user" (because verbally it is a Y sound)?
A is for words beginning with a consonant sound, an for words that begin with a vowel sound. Hour begins with a vowel sound, even though the first letter is a vowel.
So an historical is wrong then? Do you concur? And that poster that used An really when it should be A really?
Okay then someone should tell those people to go back to elementary or something? Especially the TV reporters. Like really? MY grammar nazi is at boiling point whenever I hear an historical over and over on TV news.
There are also the words that begin with a "u" but have an initial "y" sound like "union" and "university". Typically people use "a" before those words.
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Oh I am not confused at all. I always write it as:
Especially the TV reporters. Like really? MY grammar nazi is at boiling point whenever I hear an historical over and over on TV news.
