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Do I use "A" or "AN" before acronyms?

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Originally posted by: AsianriceX
Originally posted by: OdiN
Originally posted by: AsianriceX
You use "a" before consonant sounds.
A cat
A dog
A truck
A European

You use "an" before vowel sounds
An ant
An alligator
An orange

So in your case
1) A CBA
2) An ABC
3) A CBA
4) An ABC

BTW. Those are acronyms, not contractons.
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Winnar!

Although there are some variances to the "rule"

H for example can have both A or AN

An hour

A history lesson

Edit: Oops you did say "sounds" so that explains this deviation.
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I also used the example "A European" to throw a wrench in the works 🙂

More importantly, I'm glad that people still know some form of grammar. Nothing irks me more than seeing there, their, and they're used incorrectly. 😕
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Yeah that bothers me. Like when I see people saying things like "your an idiot!" While funny, it is annoying.

I've always been good at english so things like that bother me. I don't care so much about the forming of the language on an internet forum, but still.
 
Originally posted by: OdiN
Yeah that bothers me. Like when I see people saying things like "your an idiot!" While funny, it is annoying.

I've always been good at english so things like that bother me. I don't care so much about the forming of the language on an internet forum, but still.
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What bothers me is when people don't capitalize the first letter of a language. 😉 Just playin' with you. 😛

Some people just don't have a grasp on things like this. All the better for those of us who do.
 
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: ntdz
a goes before words that do not start with vowels.
an goes before words that start with vowels.
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What an historic revelation.

Althought not always the case.
😉
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That is the technically correct form, however you will see "a historic" often times even in publications. It seems to have worked itself into a grey area as to which is correct.
 
Originally posted by: LoKe
Originally posted by: OdiN
Yeah that bothers me. Like when I see people saying things like "your an idiot!" While funny, it is annoying.

I've always been good at english so things like that bother me. I don't care so much about the forming of the language on an internet forum, but still.
Click to expand...

What bothers me is when people don't capitalize the first letter of a language. 😉 Just playin' with you. 😛

Some people just don't have a grasp on things like this. All the better for those of us who do.
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If I was writing a paper I would 😛

I don't exactly care too much about grammar such as commas and semicolons and stuff on here. I'm not here to impress anyone with sounding eloquent or anything.

Spelling has always been what bothers me the most. I guess it comes from being an editor. Spelling mistakes just jump off of the page and smack me in the face.
 
Originally posted by: LoKe
You're an editor? So I assume you majored in English?

I've been considering that path, but not sure of the career possibilities it yeilds.
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No I was an editor in school for yearbook and I was an editor for a website and I would do proof/rewrite on articles posted.

I don't do any of that anymore though. I just happen to be good at English.

I have a Business/CIS degree and may go back and get a BA in Photography. Undecided about whether I should actually get a degree for that or just let my work stand on its own.
 
Originally posted by: OdiN
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: ntdz
a goes before words that do not start with vowels.
an goes before words that start with vowels.
Click to expand...

What an historic revelation.

Althought not always the case.
😉
Click to expand...

That is the technically correct form, however you will see "a historic" often times even in publications. It seems to have worked itself into a grey area as to which is correct.
Click to expand...

heh, yeah. I believe it is enforced by the sound and not necessarily vowel or not.

for bonus points what is the subject and verb of my complete sentence "Although not always the case."
🙂
 
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: OdiN
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: ntdz
a goes before words that do not start with vowels.
an goes before words that start with vowels.
Click to expand...

What an historic revelation.

Althought not always the case.
😉
Click to expand...

That is the technically correct form, however you will see "a historic" often times even in publications. It seems to have worked itself into a grey area as to which is correct.
Click to expand...

heh, yeah. I believe it is enforced by the sound and not necessarily vowel or not.

for bonus points what is the subject and verb of my complete sentence "Although not always the case."
🙂
Click to expand...

Case and Always
 
Originally posted by: Ilmater
Anyone know for sure which of these are right?

1) "The company signed a CBA agreement."
2) "The company signed a ABC agreement."
3) "The company signed an CBA agreement."
4) "The company signed an ABC agreement."

I say 1 and 4, I just want to make sure that's right.
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I believe 1 and 4 are correct.
 
I thought any independant clause could stand alone as a sentence?

I can see this being a sentence - "That is the case"
"That is not the case"
"Although that is not the case"
"Although (implied that is subject/verb) not the case"

guess it could get tricky - we're dealing with independant/dependant clauses here.
 
It all depend son the sound of the first letter of the acronym. Anything the thing sounds like it started with a vowel sound, you use AN. Consonant you use A.

Just like the word HONOR. It starts with a consonant but it sounds like a vowel, so you use AN.

As in 123, one starts with the W sound which is a consonant.
 
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