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Subject:Re: Use of A and An From:"David O'Brien" <OBrien_David_P -at- cat -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 24 Nov 2003 09:30:48 +1000
El Domingo 23 Noviembre 2003 04:54, Bruce Byfield escribió:
> technicoid wrote:
> >Perhaps a simpler way to remember is this: if it begins with a consonant
> >_sound_, use a. If it begins with a vowel sound, use an. The point is
> >wither the phoneme that follows the article has a stop, fricative,
> >glide, or what not.
>
> This question strikes me as a good example of the limits of prescriptive
> grammar. Asked to remember that "an" is used before a vowel sound, many
> people have trouble remembering. However, if you go on to note that the
> difference exists because, in this situation, "an" is easier to say than
> "a," then they just might remember. By adding this explanation, you
> transform the case from an arbitrary rule to a practice that has a
> reason for it.
The only problem with that is when people are writing... they don't "say" what
they're writing; they say a vowel and immediately or subconsciously use "an"
or vice versa. Which letter comes after "e" in the alphabet? Is the rule
arbitrary?
I've had some fun with exercises like this in my part-time, volunteer role as
English tutor to students from Asia.
Praying that no-one says an eulogy for me when the time comes, ;-)
David
ps. Just to spice things up, why doesn't "anathema" use an indefinite article?
--
David O'Brien
Sr. Technical Writer
Caterpillar MineStar Solutions
617 3329 8122
davido -at- cat -dot- com
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