"A" or "An "? CHAPTER VII ARTICLES1 No one says 66 an book," and few are Even those who never so ignorant as to say "a elephant." heard of the rule that "a" should be used before a consonant sound and "an" before a vowel sound, are guided correctly by the ear; for euphony lies at the foundation of the rule. "U" in "unicorn," "unit," and "university" sounds exactly like "you" in "youth," and should therefore take "a" before it, as "youth" does. "One" sounds exactly like the first syllable of "wonder," and should therefore take "a" before it, as "wonder" does. An author who is guided by the eye only may write "an university" and "such an one," for to the eye "u" and "o" are vowels; an author who is guided by the ear as well as by the eye will write "a university" and "such a one." It cannot be 1In many grammars, articles are placed among adjectives; but they are adjectives of a peculiar kind. For the purposes of this book, it is convenient to treat them by themselves. denied, however, that "an unit," "such an one," and the like are sometimes written, inadvertently or perversely, by good authors. I A house in town. A hotel by the sea. An honorable man. II An house in town. An hotel by the sea. We properly say "a house," "a hotel," but "an honorable," " an honest," in compliance with, the rule that "a" is correct when the "h" before a vowel sound is aspirated, "an" when it is not. Early writers were not bound by this rule,1 and many modern authors prefer "an” to “a before "habitual," "heretical," "heroic," "historical," "hypnotic," and other words in which the "h" sound is weakened because the accent falls on the second syllable; in such cases, however, the best present usage seems to incline toward “a.”2 Use "a" before a consonant sound, “an” before a vowel sound. EXERCISE C Insert in each blank the proper form of the indefinite article. In which cases, if any, is either form allowable? – 1. He had 2. We have 3. This is 4. black horse. habitual lurch in his walk. host of picture-books with colored plates. unique position. hostler stood near, holding by the bridle 5. There was unanimous vote in the affirmative. immense 1 An was often retained before w and y in [the] 15th century, as an wood, an woman, an yere, such an one, and was regular before h down to the 17th century, as an house, an happy, an hundred, an head (1665). Its history thus shows a gradual suppression of the n before consonants of all kinds, and in all positions.-The Oxford English Dictionary. 2 On this point the Oxford English Dictionary says: "In unaccented syllables, many, perhaps most, writers still retain an before sounded h, some even before eu, u, as an historian, an euphonic vowel, an united appeal, though this is all but obsolete in speech, and in writing a becomes increasingly common in this position." 6. Such one-sided statement I never before heard. 7. His first speech will be eulogy on the late J. T. Sims. 8. The king of Würtemberg is the only knight of the garter who is also 9. He is hotel-keeper. heroic figure. 10. There goes honest man. EXERCISE CI In which sentence (a or b) of each of the following pairs is the italicized article correct at the present time?la. I am known to be a humorous patrician. - SHAKSPERE.1 16. He that would learn to pass a just sentence on persons and things, must take heed of a fanciful temper of mind, and an humorous conduct in his affairs. - WATTS. 2a. I can tell why a snail has a house. - SHAKSPERE.2 26. But Solomon built him an house. - ACTS vii. 47. 3a. Were they then to be awed by the supereminent authority and awful dignity of a handful of country clowns?— BURKE. 36. I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse. - 1 KINGS Xvii. 12. 4a. One of the officers who had an horse kindly took her behind him.-GOLDSMITH. 4b. A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse! — SHAKSPERE.8 "A" (or "An ") or "The " ?—The distinction between the indefinite article and the definite is familiar. In the lines A rose By any other name would smell as sweet,* "a" designates, not a specific rose or class of roses, but any flower called a rose. In the sentence "The rose in the vase is very fragrant," "the" designates one rose in particular. To the general rule as to the use of "a" and "the,” sentences like the following contain apparent, but not real, exceptions: "The elephant is an intelligent ani 2 King Lear, i. 5. 1 Coriolanus, ii. 1. 8 Richard III, v. 4. 4 Shakspere: Romeo and Juliet, ii. 2. mal," "The pen is mightier than the sword" (Lytton), "I like to go out on the water." In each of these sentences, "the" is used in a generic, or representative, sense: "the elephant" represents elephants as a class, "the pen" and "the sword" represent pens and swords in general, "the water" represents water as distinguished from land. Use "a" or "an" to indicate any person or thing; use "the" to indicate a particular person or thing, or a person or thing as representative of a class. EXERCISE CII Give the meaning of each sentence in the two forms suggested, with the article in parenthesis and with that which precedes : 1. Can the (a) fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? 2. The (A) sweet psalmist of Israel said, "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me." 3. The (A) house is on fire. 4. The (An) elephant stood on a cask, and the (a) clown sat on the elephant's back. 5. He told us about the (an) accident. 6. He is the (an) editor of the "Gazette.” 7. He sat in the council of the doges when Venice was the (a) powe ful republic. EXERCISE CIII Insert in each blank the proper article, the definite or the indefinite: 1. lion is king of beasts. 2. I do not remember the details of with - man who had been sent by place which was apparently our country has ever known. 3. story, but it had to do New York daily paper to - centre of worst earthquake - reader finds it hard to believe that the characters in book are but creatures of imagination. 4. Scarcity of provisions and want of transports will doubtless prevent their offering vigorous defence at a distance from main position. "A" (or "An") or "One"?-The article "a" and the numeral "one were originally the same word; but in the language as it now exists they have separate functions. I I have often returned from a party at half-past ten, and have then made a call on a girl which lasted until half-past eleven. II I have often returned from one party at half-past ten, and have then made a call on a girl which lasted until half-past eleven. The emphasis is not upon one party as distinguished from another, but upon "party" as distinguished from "call"; the indefinite "a" is, therefore, the " is, therefore, the proper word. Discriminate between "a" or "an” and “one.” Article or "This"? - The adjective "this" is frequently used where an article would be better. I I remember the story. A man who always carried an umbrella, hearing of a woman who never carried one, immediately became curious to see her. man, II I remember the story. There was this man who always carried an umbrella, who heard of this woman who never carried one, and immediately became curious to see her. A person who begins a story with a remark about "this ," "this woman," forgets that, however well known to him the characters may be, they cannot become "this man" and "this woman to the reader until they have been introduced in some way. I I shall try to estimate the worth of the principle which sustains my proposition. II I shall try to estimate the worth of this principle which sustains my proposition. In this example, "this" might have been correct if the principle referred to had been mentioned in a preceding sentence. Since it was not there mentioned, "the" is the proper word; for "the principle" leads to what follows in the restrictive relative clause at the end of the sentence. |