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"a" vs "an" before technique name?

 
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storm_norm



Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Posts: 1741

PostPosted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 7:13 pm    Post subject: "a" vs "an" before technique name? Reply with quote

I am curious to know what the posters and readers think about the use of "a" and "an" before a technique name. maybe there are some grammar aficianados that have an opinion?

for example,

"... a x-wing"

"...an x-wing"

"...a xy-wing"

"...an xy-wing"

"...a m-wing"

"...an m-wing"

etc...

sometimes I feel caught in between using one or the other. am I the only one?


Last edited by storm_norm on Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:07 pm; edited 1 time in total
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wapati



Joined: 10 Jun 2008
Posts: 472
Location: Brampton, Ontario, Canada.

PostPosted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 7:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

An is correct before a "word" where the initial sound is that of a vowel, regardless of the actual letter.

IMHO. Razz
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Marty R.



Joined: 12 Feb 2006
Posts: 5770
Location: Rochester, NY, USA

PostPosted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

wapati wrote:
An is correct before a "word" where the initial sound is that of a vowel, regardless of the actual letter.

IMHO. Razz

As in "an X-Wing", because it sounds like it starts with a vowel, even though 'X" is a consonant.

A non-Sudoku example might be "a euchre game." The word starts with a vowel but sounds like the consonant "Y."
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wapati



Joined: 10 Jun 2008
Posts: 472
Location: Brampton, Ontario, Canada.

PostPosted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

English is apparently the hardest language to learn.

Yep, I can believe it!
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storm_norm



Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Posts: 1741

PostPosted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 4:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

what would spark my interest in this matter is if posters whose primary language isn't english also had an opinion and posted it.

that would be priceless.
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wapati



Joined: 10 Jun 2008
Posts: 472
Location: Brampton, Ontario, Canada.

PostPosted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I answered your question.

You seem to be vacant.

I would next ask not doctors for medical opinions?


Last edited by wapati on Tue Jul 14, 2009 12:08 am; edited 4 times in total
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storm_norm



Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Posts: 1741

PostPosted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

wapati wrote:
storm_norm wrote:
what would spark my interest in this matter is if posters whose primary language isn't english also had an opinion and posted it.

that would be priceless.


And if I posted a hard-physics question (which I could do) I'd prefer a botanist to answer?

Norm, you are straying.


yeah, probably. Smile
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storm_norm



Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Posts: 1741

PostPosted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 10:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
And if I posted a hard-physics question (which I could do) I'd prefer a botanist to answer?


just because I can speak english doesn't mean I am a master at it's grammar.
and just because someone has mastered english's grammar doesn't mean they speak it perfectly.
(it would be hopeful that they do)

a botanist might just be able to answer a physics question, just like it might be possible that a physicist might not be able to answer one.

the reason I said that it would be interesting for a person who didn't have english as a primary language to respond would hopefully give more insight on my question.
I'd gladly accept any comment on the matter. even from a botanist. Smile
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daj95376



Joined: 23 Aug 2008
Posts: 3854

PostPosted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 11:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

[Withdrawn]

Last edited by daj95376 on Fri Jun 18, 2010 3:39 am; edited 2 times in total
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storm_norm



Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Posts: 1741

PostPosted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 11:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Danny,
the question is how you write "a xy-wing" or how you write "a x-wing"

do you write:
a x-wing
or
an x-wing

and yes I mean you personally.
??
-------

no grammar officionados present reading this? no one interested in giving a straight answer? Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes


Last edited by storm_norm on Tue Jul 14, 2009 12:03 am; edited 1 time in total
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Marty R.



Joined: 12 Feb 2006
Posts: 5770
Location: Rochester, NY, USA

PostPosted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 1:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

storm_norm wrote:
Danny,
the question is how you write "a xy-wing" or how you write "a x-wing"

do you write:
a x-wing
or
an x-wing

and yes I mean you personally.
??
-------

no grammar officionados present reading this? no one interested in giving a straight answer? Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes

Obviously I'm not Danny, but the general rule is that you write something the way you say it, "an X-Wing" in this particular example.
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nataraj



Joined: 03 Aug 2007
Posts: 1048
Location: near Vienna, Austria

PostPosted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 6:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Since you asked, Norm, here's my "priceless" opinion Smile ...

English is not my foist language. Guess I qualify to give an answer ...

I write "an" x- xy- xyz- and m- wing.
I write "a" w-wing.

The rule "an" before vowel applies. And not just for grammar aficionados, I am sure:

Google search.:
Find "did a x-ray": appprox. 47.900 hits
Find "did an x-ray" approx. 182.000 hits

And, yes, I do A u-turn.


LOL, today I wrote: "first step, m-wing". Saying it and writing it is different after all, it seems...

___

edit 2051 GMT+2:

interesting things happen to Google's hit statistics once you follow through all pages:

"is a x-wing", initially "approx. 24.300 hits", after three pages, in fact 25 (!!!) hits

"is an x-wing", initially "approx 75.900", after 16 pages: 152 hits
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Mogulmeister



Joined: 03 May 2007
Posts: 1151

PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So much to contribute but I fear this one died quite a while ago....pity.
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Pat



Joined: 23 Feb 2010
Posts: 207

PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 12:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mogulmeister wrote:
So much to contribute but I fear this one died quite a while ago....pity.

well you woke it up---

storm_norm wrote:
just because I can speak english doesn't mean I am a master at it's grammar.

please correct to: its grammar [ no apostrophe ]
    it's a common mistake nowadays
    even for English-speakers

      it's = it is
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peterj



Joined: 26 Mar 2010
Posts: 974
Location: London, UK

PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 7:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pat
I suffer from the same affliction as you - sadly I was taught when to use apostrophes at school and, try as I might, I can't forget it!

In the outside world you see such horrors as " its' ": someone clearly thought they needed some punctuation but weren't sure where to put it. But even the Times and Telegraph in London frequently get the third person singular neuter possessive pronoun wrong!

My advice take a deep breath and move one!

"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds"! Smile

One can argue the case as to whether consistent use of the apostrophe is foolish or not!
Peter
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DonM



Joined: 15 Sep 2009
Posts: 51

PostPosted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 2:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is addressed in Wikipedia under the heading of English_articles:

Discrimination between a and an
The choice of "a" or "an" is determined by phonetic rules rather than by spelling convention. "An" is employed in speech to remove the awkward glottal stop (momentary silent pause) that is otherwise required between "a" and a following word. For example, "an X-ray" is less awkward to pronounce than "a X-ray," which has a glottal stop between "a" and "X-ray".
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daj95376



Joined: 23 Aug 2008
Posts: 3854

PostPosted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 3:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

DonM wrote:
This is addressed in Wikipedia under the heading of English_articles:

Discrimination between a and an
The choice of "a" or "an" is determined by phonetic rules rather than by spelling convention. "An" is employed in speech to remove the awkward glottal stop (momentary silent pause) that is otherwise required between "a" and a following word. For example, "an X-ray" is less awkward to pronounce than "a X-ray," which has a glottal stop between "a" and "X-ray".

It (sorta) explains "an X-ray" and numerous other instances, but I'm not sure it explains "a U-turn".
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keith



Joined: 19 Sep 2005
Posts: 3355
Location: near Detroit, Michigan, USA

PostPosted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 3:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

How dare you get glottal with me! Stop!

An yak?

Or, when are we going to debate swordfishes?

Keith Razz
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Mogulmeister



Joined: 03 May 2007
Posts: 1151

PostPosted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 9:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

peterj wrote:
Pat


My advice take a deep breath and move one!

Peter


Laughing On Peter, on ! When will one learn? Laughing

I'm totally with you on apostrophe usage. I am sad enough to have a copy of "Eats shoots and leaves." by Lynne Truss.

Another bugbear is the misuse of "I", "me" and "myself". There is a huge hobgoblin in my garden but I must just sigh and move one. Laughing


Last edited by Mogulmeister on Fri Jun 18, 2010 10:12 am; edited 1 time in total
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Mogulmeister



Joined: 03 May 2007
Posts: 1151

PostPosted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 10:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The "y" in"yak" is a consonant sound so no glottal stop ! Same as the "U" in "U-turn", the opening sound is identical to the "y" in yak. Laughing

However, there are some subtleties which vary by country and even within country:

"An" hotel or "a" hotel ? "An" historic moment or "a" historic moment?

In England, because the h is omitted by some -both upper and working class- the use of "an" is preferred. The upper classes drop the "h" in hotel because it originates from a French word, "hôtel". The working class do it, because that accent drops its "xx".

Maddeningly, the French rule doesn't continue, so, unlike our American cousins, who in a noble bid to respect Les Francais, say "'erb", the English tend to use "herb" which, as any American will tell you, is a man's name! Smile

When all is said and done it depends on what you do with the "h".
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