International Question on Language (not really train related, but I'll try)

[Anonymous]

In another forum, one of political a more pursuasion, the issue came up on the use of the grammatical articles "a" and "an" before words that begin with the consonant "H."

Example, (here is the weak link to trains)

"I am an Historian that deals with railroad issues."

versus...

"I am a Historian that deals with railroad issues."

I was told that the use of "an" in this manner was falling out of use in American (US) and Canadian English, but was still in common practice inAussie, Kiwi and British usage.

Any takers?

Capt Carrales, "an Historian that deals with railroad issues!"

[Kiwi Down Under]

"I am an Historian that deals with railroad issues."
Thats correct as far as New Zealand english goes
Tony

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Gscalechuffchuff

"I am an Historian that deals with railroad issues."
Thats correct as far as New Zealand english goes
Tony

Thanks, I can't wait to hear responses from the rest of the world. A buddy from South Texas is waiting for the answers.

See, we really do benefit the world, those of us who spend our free time on our knees looking at trains!!![:D]

[Kiwi Down Under]

What do you mean "free time", I am at work and this is stressful !.

[Anonymous]

I'll have to check on this one Captain.After reading both I couldn't work out which one I'd use.It's 11.30 pm here and past my bedtime!
Troy

[vsmith]

To my college engli***raining the phrase "I am a historian..." would be correct (being more declarative in content), to use "an" would be more proper in a sentance like " I am an American historian..." (being more descriptive in content) just my 2/100ths of a dollar...

[Curmudgeon]

South Texans would say "Eye know sumptin' about trains".

Watch out for them guys that drive on the wrong side of the road, Cap'n.

TOC

[Anonymous]

TCO
you got to watch the driver on the right side of the road to???????? ben

[Curmudgeon]

Only in Southern California.

[spankybird]

As I remember my school’n:

An is used before a vowel (ie: A, E, I, O, and U) and a is used before consentient (all the other letters)

Therefore, "I am a historian..." would be correct

But remember I am an engineer, so what do I really know.

tom

[Tom The Brat]

By Mid-Western American useage, you put the "n" in front of a vowell, leave it out in front of a consonant.

[Rastun]

Capt,

This is what I’ve discovered on the subject,

Rule: Mass vs. Count; A vs. An
Words that begin with a vowel usually take ‘an’ as the indefinite article: an army, an error, an image, an orbit, an underling. Words that begin with a consonant usually take ‘a’ as the indefinite article: a carrot, a heretic, a list, a shipwreck. There are some exceptions that may cause difficulty. Words beginning with ‘u’ or ‘eu’ that have a ‘y’ sound take the indefinite article ‘a’: a eulogy, a European, a union, a unit. Words beginning with an unpronounced ‘h’ take the indefinite article ‘an’: an hour, an heir.

Now with that coming from MS Word’s Grammar checker. I would have gone with Spankybird’s explanation cause that was what I thought I had been taught. But as I thought about it the ‘an hour’ phrase went through my head so I had to check a bit more.

With all that said maybe the phrase should really be; " I like old trains." [:D]

Jack

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Curmudgeon

Only in Southern California.

Hey, if you dont like the way we drive,

STAY OFF THE SIDEWALK!

[;)][8D]

[Anonymous]

Vic mate surely you mean footpath don't you.

I would use an historian but here is something even more puzzeling; I would say is that a hotel but I believe if you wi***o be absolutely correct and i'm not saying I agree with this you should say "an hotel" with h silent like "an otel".

Regrds Surfing grandad

[Curmudgeon]

hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe

[grandpopswalt]

I think Ian's nailed it . it's those pesky silent and oddly pronounced letters. Example: it gets very hot in Texas in Hune and Huly.

Walt

[Anonymous]

In Lancashire we would say, " Am thistorian t'do wit t'train thissue"

Also 'an' works for me as well.
Who's Ann? I don't employ anybody.
If you drive on the right it's you on the wrong side of the road. Civilised people know that driving on the left is the only way.
Bonjour
Kim
[tup]

[toenailridgesl]

H is correctly pronounced "aitch", not "haitch" therefore should sound like a vowel. The correct grammatical pronunciation is an before the letter 'h' if the following word is a noun. If it is an adjective then the 'h' is preceded by 'a'..
Examples: An historian investigated the past
But: A hairy & hursuite historian needs a shave & a haircut.

[powlee]

I am historian is correct in my book but I am AN ambulanceman.
Incidently, I drive an american ambulance with a left-hand drive on the left hand side of the road. WHICH IS THE RIGHT SIDE !!
All the best
Ian P (the northern hemisphere one)

[tangerine-jack]

I think the correct terminology is “I be a history expert."

Rastun is 100% correct, in a living language, and one that stole its existence from other languages, the A vs. AN controversy is based on pronunciation in the spoken, but adheres to the rules in writing. Therefore, in my area, “I am a historian” is correct, but further west and south “I am an historian” is also correct. Strange, but true. In the military, the rule is “generally correct and free of errors”, so as long as I understand what you are trying to say, I be satisfoiyed.
[oX)]

[Anonymous]

I think it works like this.
In the words 'honour' and 'hour' the h is silent.Therefore the vowel becomes the main letter,hence 'an'.
It gets trickier.
People say "an uncle" because the'u' is an 'uh' sound.(did you spot the 'an uh'[:D])
but with the word 'unicorn' the'u' becomes a 'yoo' sound,hence 'a unicorn'
Speaking in the english language as a native you will automatically use the correct term as it is hard to say the two words otherwise.
Troy

[Anonymous]

Oh,and it's 'a historian' [:D]

[Anonymous]

Who should we accecpt as the expert, the Englishmen (since itis their language), the Americans (since there may be more of us) the Aussies and Kiwi's (since their long time isolation may have preserved the original English of antiquity.

This will be somewhat a real hoot. Be polite!

To relate this to trains...wooo, wooo!!!!

[tangerine-jack]

Good question, Cpt. I vote for the French for no other reason than I feel sorry for thier badly mispronounced provincial Latin being passed of as a language. They speak English better than they speak French. As for me, I will "talk American" to my "English speaking" friends.[:D]


[oX)]

[IRONROOSTER]

Does it make a difference if it's a cockney 'istorian? [swg][swg]

Enjoy
Paul

[Anonymous]

If it's any help,I was born and bred in the east end of London.How it is said makes no difference to the written word.I don't know of any language that is written 'as said'
Maybe it exists,but then again,they maybe just illiterate.[:D]
If you want to go really deep you have to look into the interaction of the english language with Latin and the rest of Europe.Many English,German and French words are alike.The Aussies and Kiwis talk like us,albeit with usage of local slang that has nationalised.The Canadians,I don't know.Maybe they have become to americanised for their own good [B)].However in Canada you must not forget the French influence.
Come to think of it,if the French didn't keep draining our resources,who knows how the World would be today.(I hasten to add that this is in jest (sort of)

[vsmith]

Mongo like pretty books

[Anonymous]

I will say "an" since "Historian" is being used as a proper noun to describe a living breathing person and the "I" is represented later in the sentance by the word "Historian".


Mikadousrp