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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
Parenthetical Adjectives and Indefinite Articles
Examine the following sentence:
He used (strange) idiom.
Which indefinite article would you use to fill the blank, "a" or "an"?
I would be particularly appreciative if anyone could direct me to a reputable source of the answer.
He used (strange) idiom.
Which indefinite article would you use to fill the blank, "a" or "an"?
I would be particularly appreciative if anyone could direct me to a reputable source of the answer.
Top answer
[nq:1]Examine the following sentence: He used (strange) idiom. Which indefinite article would you use to fill the blank, "a" or "an"? [/nq] The parentheses have no bearing on the rules governing the choice of "a" or "an".
- [nq:1]Examine the following sentence: He used (strange) idiom.
- Which indefinite article would you use to fill the blank, "a" or "an"?
- [/nq] The parentheses have no bearing on the rules governing the choice of "a" or "an".
- These are all correct: An idiom.
- A strange idiom.
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17 Answers
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[nq:1]Examine the following sentence: He used (strange) idiom. Which indefinite article would you use to fill the blank, "a" or "an"? I would be particularly appreciative if anyone could direct me to a reputable source of the answer.[/nq]
The parentheses have no bearing on the
rules governing the choice of "a" or "an".
These are all correct:
An idiom.
A strange idiom.
An un
The parentheses have no bearing on the
rules governing the choice of "a" or "an".
These are all correct:
An idiom.
A strange idiom.
An un
00
[nq:1]A (strange) idiom. The problem is, it's difficult to justify the parentheses. Was it strange or wasn't it?[/nq]
I would read it as an informal usage to mean "An idiom (a strange one, but that has nothing to do with what I'm talking about)."
-Chris
I would read it as an informal usage to mean "An idiom (a strange one, but that has nothing to do with what I'm talking about)."
-Chris
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I can't find anything specific about this in reference books, perhaps because the obvious solution is to redraft.
To answer your question as it stands: in principle, I'd say this is better written as "a (strange) idiom" because the choice of "a" or "an" depends on the firsat letter of the following word, and "idiom" is no longer the following word. It's true that syntax should stay intact outs
To answer your question as it stands: in principle, I'd say this is better written as "a (strange) idiom" because the choice of "a" or "an" depends on the firsat letter of the following word, and "idiom" is no longer the following word. It's true that syntax should stay intact outs
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[nq:2]Examine the following sentence: He used (strange) ... could direct me to a reputable source of the answer.[/nq]
[nq:1]The parentheses have no bearing on the rules governing the choice of "a" or "an". These are all correct: An ... (unusual) idiom. A (strange) idiom. The problem is, it's difficult to justify the parentheses. Was it strange or wasn't it?[/nq]
Another one of those strang
[nq:1]The parentheses have no bearing on the rules governing the choice of "a" or "an". These are all correct: An ... (unusual) idiom. A (strange) idiom. The problem is, it's difficult to justify the parentheses. Was it strange or wasn't it?[/nq]
Another one of those strang
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[nq:1]Examine the following sentence: He used (strange) idiom. Which indefinite article would you use to fill the blank, "a" or "an"? I would be particularly appreciative if anyone could direct me to a reputable source of the answer.[/nq]
The "rule" is that you write it the way you say it. You say "a" here, so you write "a" here.
Next!
Adrian
The "rule" is that you write it the way you say it. You say "a" here, so you write "a" here.
Next!
Adrian
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[nq:1]Another one of those strange questions we get from people whose apparent level of attainment in English suggests that they should know the answer already. I've often wondered what's going on. Does any more recent EFL teacher have any light to throw? Mike.[/nq]
EFL teachers won't help; I'm a native speaker.
The issue came up because I was correcting someone's grammar who was correctin
EFL teachers won't help; I'm a native speaker.
The issue came up because I was correcting someone's grammar who was correctin
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(snip)
[nq:1]Another one of those strange questions we get from people whose apparent level of attainment in English suggests that they should know the answer already.[/nq]
Should != do
I'm English, and I didn't know the answer. (I did, however, guess right.)
[nq:1]I've often wondered what's going on.[/nq]
Lot's of stupid people around?
[nq:1]Another one of those strange questions we get from people whose apparent level of attainment in English suggests that they should know the answer already.[/nq]
Should != do
I'm English, and I didn't know the answer. (I did, however, guess right.)
[nq:1]I've often wondered what's going on.[/nq]
Lot's of stupid people around?
00
[nq:2]Another one of those strange questions we get from people ... more recent EFL teacher have any light to throw? Mike.[/nq]
[nq:1]EFL teachers won't help; I'm a native speaker. The issue came up because I was correcting someone's grammar who was ... correct. This newsgroup seems to me one of the best places to get an answer to settle such a dispute.[/nq]
I'm afraid I can't direct you t
[nq:1]EFL teachers won't help; I'm a native speaker. The issue came up because I was correcting someone's grammar who was ... correct. This newsgroup seems to me one of the best places to get an answer to settle such a dispute.[/nq]
I'm afraid I can't direct you t
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"Gerald Smyth" (Email Removed) schrieb im Newsbeitrag
[nq:1]I'm afraid I can't direct you to a reputable source. Of the eight posts I see in this thread at ... The true principle is that such constructions are illogical unless they are correct both with and without the parenthetical material..g[/nq]
From a grammatical point of view but the choice between "a" and "an" is a matter of euphon
[nq:1]I'm afraid I can't direct you to a reputable source. Of the eight posts I see in this thread at ... The true principle is that such constructions are illogical unless they are correct both with and without the parenthetical material..g[/nq]
From a grammatical point of view but the choice between "a" and "an" is a matter of euphon
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[nq:2]I'm afraid I can't direct you to a reputable source. ... they are correct both with and without the parenthetical material..g[/nq]
[nq:1]From a grammatical point of view but the choice between "a" and "an" is a matter of euphony, not grammar. The question is, if you were reading the sentence out loud, does a vowel sound follow the indefinite article?[/nq]
If I were forced to choose,
[nq:1]From a grammatical point of view but the choice between "a" and "an" is a matter of euphony, not grammar. The question is, if you were reading the sentence out loud, does a vowel sound follow the indefinite article?[/nq]
If I were forced to choose,
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