Problems with English? Questions? Vocabulary, grammar... Post here :)

brianL · 08-12-2010, 04:54 AM

Like MrCode said:
a useful
a uniform
a usual

an unusual
an unanything

Usually an before any other vowel.

Can't think of anything else regarding a/an before vowels at the moment.
There's a problem what to use before words beginning with h (spelled aitch). If you drop your aitches, as I do, it's an: "an ospital", "an orse", "an ouse". Whereas if you speak (or write) "proper" English it's a.

Aquarius_Girl · 08-12-2010, 04:59 AM

Are there no set rules defined for the usage of "an". Do you always first pronounce and then write ?

linuxlover.chaitanya · 08-12-2010, 05:01 AM

Brian is a natural and native english speaker. So it should be coming to him naturally. We as non native speakers find it difficult.

Aquarius_Girl · 08-12-2010, 05:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianL

a useful
a uniform
a usual

an unusual
an unanything

This should be OK then:

A unfriendly friend instead of An unfriendly friend

An unoccupied chair instead of A unoccupied chair

This needs a lot of practice !!

pwc101 · 08-12-2010, 05:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anishakaul

A unfriendly friend instead of An unfriendly friend

I'd say "An unfriendly friend".

brianL · 08-12-2010, 05:47 AM

Yes, an unfriendly friend.

Aquarius_Girl · 08-12-2010, 05:49 AM

But 'f' is not a vowel, so what about your previous post ?

pwc101 · 08-12-2010, 05:50 AM

un-anything is preceded by an.

Edit: except uniform. That's a uniform. It's to do with the pronunciation of the word. This link makes a good job of explaining the difference: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/591/01/

Aquarius_Girl · 08-12-2010, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwc101

This link makes a good job of explaining the difference: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/591/01/

That is a very nice link, but I couldn't understand

Quote:

When u makes the same sound as the y in you, or o makes the same sound as w in won, then a is used.

* a union

How is the example 'union' related ?

pwc101 · 08-12-2010, 06:03 AM

The u in union makes the same sound as the y in you, so it's not preceded by an "an".

Aquarius_Girl · 08-12-2010, 06:16 AM

Ok, can I have an example where u is not pronounced as you ?

linuxlover.chaitanya · 08-12-2010, 06:16 AM

Amitabh Bachchan rightly said, English is a phunny language.

XavierP · 08-12-2010, 06:20 AM

Union = yoo-nion (long u sound)
Onion = un-ion (short u sound)

So, "a union" and "an onion".

Aquarius_Girl · 08-12-2010, 06:23 AM

I meant where u is present at the start but still there is no you sound. In onion I don't find any you sound !! May be your pronunciation is different, that's why !

XavierP · 08-12-2010, 06:30 AM

The on part of onion is pronounced as un. How about an unfriendly nation? That has a short u sound at the start and the u is treated as a vowel.