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 Can I borrow yours?


Why Should I Care about Articles?
Here are two common questions related to articles.

(Question 1) When Do You Use "An" and "A"?
The most common mistake involving articles is using "an" instead of "a" (or vice versa). This
mistake occurs because writers believe "an" is used before a vowel and "a" before a consonant.
That is not entirely accurate. "An" is used before a vowel sound, and "a" is used before a
consonant sound. The word sound is important because consonants can create vowel sounds,
and vowels can create consonant sounds. Therefore, the use of "an" or "a" is determined by the
sound not the letter. Look at these examples:

 A house
 An hour
(House and hour start with the same three letters; however, house attracts "a,"
and hour attracts "an." This is because house starts with a consonant sound, but hour starts
with a vowel sound.)

 A uniform row
 An unidentified man
(Uniform and unidentified start with the same three letters; however, uniform attracts "a,"
and unidentified attracts "an." This is because uniform starts with a consonant sound (yoo),
but unidentified starts with a vowel sound.)
Be especially careful with abbreviations:

 An MOT
(The letter "em" starts with a vowel sound.)

 An LRS
(The letter "el" starts with a vowel sound.)

 A US diplomat
(The letter "yoo" starts with a consonant sound.)

(Question 2) Do you say "an historic moment" or "a historic moment"?
The words historic, historical, historian, horrific, and even hotel are worthy of special mention
because they are often spoken and written with the wrong version of the indefinite article. All of
these words start with a consonant sound, as soft as it might be. Therefore, their article is "a" not
"an."

 The attraction of power can be a disease, a horrific disease. (Irish actor Liam
Cunningham)
 We owe an historic debt to American Indians. They have a unique set of concerns that
haven't been addressed. (American politician Alan Franken)
(An historic is wrong, but a unique is correct.)

Here are two other issues related to the articles.