The article "an"

NewguestDo I need the article "an" or leave it out?

Leave it out. Using "an" would be unusual.

Enlightenment is understanding, often sudden understanding. It emphasizes somewhat that some new idea has come about which explains things in a new way that makes more sense than an older way of explaining them.

CJ

What about "What is an Enlightenment Intensive?" Here I would use the article "an".

NewguestWhat about "What is an Enlightenment Intensive?" Here I would use the article "an".

I might too if I even knew what that was. What's an Enlightenment Intensive, and why is it capitalized?

CJ

But why do we put the article "an" in this case before Enlightenment? What's the rule?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlightenment_Intensive

NewguestBut why do we put the article "an" in this case before Enlightenment?

The link says: An Enlightenment Intensive is a group retreat. So this is like a brand name of a kind of retreat. The full form would be

an Enlightenment Intensive Retreat

'an' goes with 'retreat', not with 'enlightenment'. It's a retreat that is in

But if the word Retreat wasn't there then there wouldn't be a need for the article "an"?

NewguestBut if the word Retreat wasn't there then there wouldn't be a need for the article "an"?

For people who know that expression and use it, "retreat" is assumed at the end, even if it's not stated. That's why they use the article. It's the way they are thinking of it. "a retreat". What kind of retreat? An intensive retreat. What kind of intensive ret