Simple esoteric English grammer rule being ignored
Sam
and "a".
If a noun or an adjective starts with a constinent it should always be
preceeded with "a".
Examples:
A bird.
A pickle.
A fish.
A reptile.
A man.
A woman.
A farmer.
A dog
A cat.
A yellow flower.
If a noun or an adjective starts with a vowel it should always be preceeded
with "an".
An apple.
An orange.
An antibiotic.
An episode.
An umbrella.
An umpire.
An instrument
An intention.
This simple rule is being overlooked in most schools in the USA and even
"intellectuals" who do not know proper usage of "a" and "an" come off
sounding awkward to those who do speak and write with proper usage of "an"
and "a".
This post is posted for your enlightenment.
John Flynn
> If a noun or an adjective starts with a vowel it should always be
> preceeded with "an".
>
> An apple.
> An orange.
> An antibiotic.
> An episode.
> An umbrella.
> An umpire.
> An instrument
> An intention.
An euphemism.
An uniform.
> This simple rule is being overlooked in most schools in the USA and
> even "intellectuals" who do not know proper usage of "a" and "an"
> come off sounding awkward to those who do speak and write with proper
> usage of "an" and "a".
>
> This post is posted for your enlightenment.
It certainly opened MY eyes.
--
johnF
"Rafiki yangu ameanza kufuga ndevu."
Michael
countries that can't poo, or what?
Sam <no...@nonesorry.edu> wrote in message
news:kDkh5.588$K2....@newsfeed.slurp.net...
> It seems that even "intellectuals" don't even know the proper usage of
"an"
> and "a".
>
> If a noun or an adjective starts with a constinent it should always be
> preceeded with "a".
>
> Examples:
>
> A bird.
> A pickle.
> A fish.
> A reptile.
> A man.
> A woman.
> A farmer.
> A dog
> A cat.
> A yellow flower.
>
> If a noun or an adjective starts with a vowel it should always be
preceeded
> with "an".
>
> An apple.
> An orange.
> An antibiotic.
> An episode.
> An umbrella.
> An umpire.
> An instrument
> An intention.
>
N.Mitchum
-----
> It seems that even "intellectuals" don't even know the proper usage of "an"
> and "a".
Sorry, but it seems even you got the rules wrong.
------
> If a noun or an adjective starts with a constinent it should always be
> preceeded with "a". [...]
>
> If a noun or an adjective starts with a vowel it should always be preceeded
> with "an". [...]
>
> This simple rule is being overlooked in most schools [...]
>
> This post is posted for your enlightenment.
>......
It's not vowels and consonants that determine whether you use "a"
or "an." It's the vowel and consonant SOUNDS that do so. You
write "an umpire" but "a university," don't you? "An hour" but "a
home"? Same letters, different sounds.
Nor is the rule all that simple. I always say (and write) "an
historic" but "a history." It has to do with the unstressed
nature of the first syllable. And don't think I'm alone in this
usage.
----NM
Koji Hishinuma
> An euphemism.
> An uniform.
They should be "a euphemism" and " a uniform" because
both "euphemism" and "uniform" start with a consonant, right?
However, if the word starts with a vowl, the indefinite article
for it should not be "a" but "an." So the following examples are
grammatically correct, right?
an oofy man
an oozy ground
If I am wrong, please let me know. Thank you in advance.
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=======================
Koji Hishinuma
Tokyo, Japan
=======================
Dave Fossett
Koji Hishinuma wrote...
> John Flynn wrote.
>
> > An euphemism.
> > An uniform.
>
> They should be "a euphemism" and " a uniform" because
> both "euphemism" and "uniform" start with a consonant, right?
John's reply was just showing that the statement by the orignal poster was
incorrect.
He stated that "an" should always be used before words beginning with a
vowel (= a,e,i,o,u). This is actually wrong as is shown by the examples "an
uniform".
Whether you use "a" or "an" depends on the *pronunciation* and not the
spelling, so words like "euphemism" or "uniform" with a "yu-" sound take "a"
not "an".
--
Dave Fossett
Saitama, JAPAN
ggarside
And just to reinforce Dave's point (it's the pronunciation that
matters), here's the little-known rule for words beginning with "h"
(sometimes silent, eg: "hour", sometimes not silent [aspirated], eg:
"helicopter", sometimes appearing in a word with the stress on the
*first* syllable, eg: "history" [his'tory], and sometimes appearing in a
word with the stress on the *second* syllable, eg: "historical"
[histor'ical]
an hour ("h" is a consonant, but is silent)
a helicopter ("h" is aspirated, stress on first syllable)
a history of Japan ("h" is aspirated, stress on first syllable)
an historical essay ("h" is aspirated, but stress is on second syllable)
Now what was that about "intellectuals not knowing the rules"???
Geoff.
willia...@my-deja.com
"N.Mitchum" <aj...@lafn.org> wrote:
> It's not vowels and consonants that determine whether you use "a"
> or "an." It's the vowel and consonant SOUNDS that do so.
I suspect that not only Sam but some people who teach English for a
living fail to distinguish, or at least to make clear the distinction,
between sound and symbol.
Gary Williams
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Elissa Degennaro
> Sam wrote, in part:
>
> > If a noun or an adjective starts with a vowel it should always be
> > preceeded with "an".
> >
> > An apple.
> > An orange.
> > An antibiotic.
> > An episode.
> > An umbrella.
> > An umpire.
> > An instrument
> > An intention.
>
> An euphemism.
> An uniform.
>
> > This simple rule is being overlooked in most schools in the USA and
> > even "intellectuals" who do not know proper usage of "a" and "an"
> > come off sounding awkward to those who do speak and write with proper
> > usage of "an" and "a".
> >
> > This post is posted for your enlightenment.
>
> It certainly opened MY eyes.
>
> --
> johnF
>
> "Rafiki yangu ameanza kufuga ndevu."
Are you sure that "An euphemism" or "An uniform" is appropriate? I don't
believe it is... There may be some exceptions to the rule.
-Elissa
Elissa Degennaro
> John Flynn wrote.
>
> > An euphemism.
> > An uniform.
>
> They should be "a euphemism" and " a uniform" because
> both "euphemism" and "uniform" start with a consonant, right?
No, both "euphemism" and "uniform" start with vowels... "E" and "U".
I'm still not sure that "an" works with them, though...
> However, if the word starts with a vowl, the indefinite article
> for it should not be "a" but "an." So the following examples are
> grammatically correct, right?
>
> an oofy man
> an oozy ground
Yes, aside from the fact that "oofy" and "oozy" arn't words :)
-Elissa
Elissa Degennaro
> [crossposted newsgroups trimmed back to japan.lang.english.communication]
>
> Koji Hishinuma wrote...
>
> > John Flynn wrote.
> >
> > > An euphemism.
> > > An uniform.
> >
> > They should be "a euphemism" and " a uniform" because
> > both "euphemism" and "uniform" start with a consonant, right?
>
> John's reply was just showing that the statement by the orignal poster was
> incorrect.
> He stated that "an" should always be used before words beginning with a
> vowel (= a,e,i,o,u). This is actually wrong as is shown by the examples "an
> uniform".
>
> Whether you use "a" or "an" depends on the *pronunciation* and not the
> spelling, so words like "euphemism" or "uniform" with a "yu-" sound take "a"
> not "an".
>
> --
> Dave Fossett
> Saitama, JAPAN
Okay, cool, I was confused there for a minute, but something about those two
just rubbed me wrong.
-Elissa
Elissa Degennaro
> Sam wrote:
> -----
> > It seems that even "intellectuals" don't even know the proper usage of "an"
> > and "a".
> >......
>
> Sorry, but it seems even you got the rules wrong.
>
> ------
> > If a noun or an adjective starts with a constinent it should always be
> > preceeded with "a". [...]
> >
> > If a noun or an adjective starts with a vowel it should always be preceeded
> > with "an". [...]
> >
> > This simple rule is being overlooked in most schools [...]
> >
> > This post is posted for your enlightenment.
> >......
>
> It's not vowels and consonants that determine whether you use "a"
> or "an." It's the vowel and consonant SOUNDS that do so. You
> write "an umpire" but "a university," don't you? "An hour" but "a
> home"? Same letters, different sounds.
>
> Nor is the rule all that simple. I always say (and write) "an
> historic" but "a history." It has to do with the unstressed
> nature of the first syllable. And don't think I'm alone in this
> usage.
>
> ----NM
No, you're not alone there.
Jerry Friedman
"Koji Hishinuma" <koj...@tkh.att.ne.jp> wrote:
> John Flynn wrote.
>
> > An euphemism.
> > An uniform.
>
> They should be "a euphemism" and " a uniform" because
> both "euphemism" and "uniform" start with a consonant, right?
>
> for it should not be "a" but "an." So the following examples are
> grammatically correct, right?
>
> an oofy man
> an oozy ground
>
You're right. (Except that "oofy" doesn't appear to be a word--I've
never heard it, and it's not in the Merriam-Webster dictionary at
<http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary>. Also, it's better to say that
"euphemism" and "uniform" start with a consonant *sound*--or better
still, with a semivowel sound.)
--
Jerry Friedman
jfrE...@nnm.cc.nm.us
i before e
and all the disclaimers
Jerry Friedman
ggarside <"imunroted"@ttne...@pna-yvax.pbz> wrote:
> Dave Fossett wrote:
> >
> > [crossposted newsgroups trimmed back to
japan.lang.english.communication]
> >
> > Koji Hishinuma wrote...
> >
> > >
> > > > An euphemism.
> > > > An uniform.
> > >
> > > They should be "a euphemism" and " a uniform" because
> > > both "euphemism" and "uniform" start with a consonant, right?
> >
poster was
> > incorrect.
> > He stated that "an" should always be used before words beginning
with a
> > vowel (= a,e,i,o,u). This is actually wrong as is shown by the
examples "an
> > uniform".
> >
> > Whether you use "a" or "an" depends on the *pronunciation* and not
the
> > spelling, so words like "euphemism" or "uniform" with a "yu-" sound
take "a"
> > not "an".
> >
>
> matters), here's the little-known rule for words beginning with "h"
> (sometimes silent, eg: "hour", sometimes not silent [aspirated], eg:
> "helicopter", sometimes appearing in a word with the stress on the
> *first* syllable, eg: "history" [his'tory], and sometimes appearing in
a
> word with the stress on the *second* syllable, eg: "historical"
> [histor'ical]
>
> an hour ("h" is a consonant, but is silent)
> a helicopter ("h" is aspirated, stress on first syllable)
> a history of Japan ("h" is aspirated, stress on first syllable)
> an historical essay ("h" is aspirated, but stress is on second
syllable)
>
> Now what was that about "intellectuals not knowing the rules"???
Not to repeat an argument from a short time ago, which you can find in
deja if you want, but the majority of prescriptive authorities prefer "a
historical essay".
Aaron J Dinkin
> Koji Hishinuma wrote:
>
>> John Flynn wrote.
>>
>> > An euphemism.
>> > An uniform.
>>
>> They should be "a euphemism" and " a uniform" because
>> both "euphemism" and "uniform" start with a consonant, right?
>
> No, both "euphemism" and "uniform" start with vowels... "E" and "U".
No, both "euphemism" and "uniform" start with a consonants: /j/. A
consonant is a sound, not a letter.
> I'm still not sure that "an" works with them, though...
I doesn't. They begin with consonants.
-Aaron J. Dinkin
Dr. Whom
ggarside
>
<Surgical removal>
>
> Not to repeat an argument from a short time ago, which you can find in
> deja if you want, but the majority of prescriptive authorities prefer "a
> historical essay".
>
Fortunately, not being a democrat, I'm quite accustomed to the
majority's being wrong 8-)
(I bet a lot of prescriptive "authorities" [and *all* descriptive
"authorities"] would "prefer": "...the majority being wrong")
> --
>
> i before e
> and all the disclaimers
>
Like "weird", man!
Geoff.
Elissa Degennaro
Wow... You learn something new every day... Thanks! I wish they taught
that more clearly in school...
-Elissa
Chuck Maurer
wrote:
>
>Are you sure that "An euphemism" or "An uniform" is appropriate? I don't
>believe it is... There may be some exceptions to the rule.
>
>-Elissa
>
What matters is how the noun is pronounced, not the spelling. I pronounce them
as if they start with 'Y' and treat that as a consonant.
Chuck Maurer / Dallas, Texas
"Usenet is like a herd of performing elephants with diarrhea -- massive,
difficult to redirect, awe-inspiring, entertaining, and a source of mind-
boggling amounts of excrement when you least expect it."
-- Gene "spaf" Spafford (1992)
Peter Hoogenboom
> It seems that even "intellectuals" don't even know the proper usage of "an"
> and "a".
They are especially unclear when it comes to the proper usage of "a" in
"grammar."
>If a noun or an adjective starts with a constinent it should always be
preceeded with "a".
What about "an honest man" or "a ukelele"?
--
Peter Hoogenboom
Matti Lamprhey
>
> ... "oofy" doesn't appear to be a word--I've
> never heard it, and it's not in the Merriam-Webster dictionary at
> <http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary>.
Oofy means wealthy, rich. Wodehouse names the wealthiest man in the Drones
Club as Oofy Prosser.
It's probably based on a Yiddish word /ooftish/, money laid down on a table.
(NSOED)
Matti
K. Edgcombe
Jerry Friedman <jfried...@my-deja.com> wrote:
>
>You're right. (Except that "oofy" doesn't appear to be a word--I've
>never heard it, and it's not in the Merriam-Webster dictionary at
Of course it's a word! Doesn't anyone read P.G.Wodehouse any more?
Katy
Jerry Friedman
> > never heard it, and it's not in the Merriam-Webster dictionary at
>
> Oofy means wealthy, rich. Wodehouse names the wealthiest man in the
Drones
> Club as Oofy Prosser.
>
> It's probably based on a Yiddish word /ooftish/, money laid down on a
table.
> (NSOED)
Thanks to you and Katy for the correction. I remember Oofy Prosser's
name, but I suspect I didn't think it had a slang meaning.
--
Jerry Friedman
jfrE...@nnm.cc.nm.us
i before e
and all the disclaimers
ggarside
>
> Sam wrote:
>
> > It seems that even "intellectuals" don't even know the proper usage of "an"
> > and "a".
>
> They are especially unclear when it comes to the proper usage of "a" in
> "grammar."
>
> >If a noun or an adjective starts with a constinent it should always be
> preceeded with "a".
>
And finally (bet Sam wishes he hadn't started this now...)
you can "precede", and you can "proceed", but you can't "preceed"!
Geoff.
Bob Cunningham
>In article <8m7dmi$euk$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>,
>Jerry Friedman <jfried...@my-deja.com> wrote:
>>You're right. (Except that "oofy" doesn't appear to be a word--I've
>>never heard it, and it's not in the Merriam-Webster dictionary at
>Of course it's a word! Doesn't anyone read P.G.Wodehouse any more?
I have about forty of his books, each of which I've read at least
twice, some three or four times, in recent years.
Oofy is the nickname of a well-heeled (oofy) member of the Drones
Club.
But you knew that.
NSOED says "oofy" is first attested in the mid 20th century, by which
they mean during the period 1930-1969, but the 1980s _Supplement to
the OED_ has a citation of "oof", meaning "wealth", from 1888.
The 1980s _Supplement_ doesn't have "oofy". Can someone tell us what
OED2 says about it? Do they quote P. G. Wodehouse? He was doing some
of his best writing in the 1930s.
Aaron J Dinkin
> The 1980s _Supplement_ doesn't have "oofy". Can someone tell us what
> OED2 says about it? Do they quote P. G. Wodehouse? He was doing some
> of his best writing in the 1930s.
It's listed as a subentry under "oof". The first citation of "oofy" is:
: 1896 Blackw. Mag. Dec. 727 My oofy maiden-aunt.
There is also a citation of "oofiness" from Wodehouse:
: 1935 Wodehouse Luck of Bodkins xvii. 211 His amazing oofiness had a tendency
: to slip from the mind.
Hmm.... How odd. The etymology of "oof" is given as "Understood to be short for
_oof-tish_, Yiddish for Ger. _auf tische_, i.e. _auf dem tische_ `on the
table'". Except it was my understanding that the Yiddish cognate of German
"auf" is "af", not "uf", when it's used as a preposition. ("Uf" does exist in
Yiddish, but it's a verbal complement, not a preposition, e.g. in "vaks uf",
'grow up'.)
erilar
<phooge...@weSPAMsleyan.edu> wrote:
> Sam wrote:
>
> > It seems that even "intellectuals" don't even know the proper usage of "an"
> > and "a".
>
> They are especially unclear when it comes to the proper usage of "a" in
> "grammar."
>
> >If a noun or an adjective starts with a constinent it should always be
> preceeded with "a".
>
> What about "an honest man" or "a ukelele"?
I have yet to hear honest pronounced with an initial consonant or ukelele
without one.
--
Mary Loomer Oliver (aka erilar)
Erilar's Cave Annex: http://www.win.bright.net/~erilarlo