I've always had great sympathy for anyone trying to learn English as a
second language. It's such a conglomeration of everything and there seem
to be more exceptions that rules.
There are not too many words that begin with "h" for US English speakers
(it may well be different for UK English) in which the "h" is actually
not heard. Examples would be an hour or an honor in which case I would
use an rather than a. But if I hear the "h", I would say/write a
historical fact, a hotel and a Hispanic maid, etc.
Frankly, at the rate native speakers butcher the language I wouldn't
lose too much sleep over it. Especially coming from a different culture
and language. If you should happen to make a slight faux-pas, just smile
and blame it on that and let it go.
That's my .02 worth and remember - opinions and advice are worth what
you pay for them <wink>
Tamara P Duvall wrote:
Gentle Spiders,
I may have asked this one before, you may have replied and I'd
forgotten... Such is life with memory running on "almost empty" <g>
When I was learning English as a kid (all those many years ago), we
were given rules about when/where/how to use which article, because
Polish doesn't have any.
We were told that, in singular, for an indefinite noun, one used
either "a" or "an" before the said noun. Ditto for an adjective
preceding the noun. The decision as to *which* of the two to use
where, hinged - or so we were told - on whether the said noun (or
adjective) started with a consonant or a vowel. The noun (or its
introductory adjective) starts with a consonant, it's preceded by "a";
it starts with a vowel, it's preceded by "an". So far, so good. There
were some exceptions, we were also told, and had to memorise a few.
It wasn't until I was at the U, that I was told that the so-called
"exceptions" weren't really; the a/an rule operated on *sounds*, not
spelling. "H" may be a consonant, but, sometimes, it's "silent" - not
pronounced. When it's silent (memorize the instances, or sound like an
uneducated person <g>) *AND* in front of a vowel, then, *and only
then* it takes on "an" as an article. Thus "a harridan", but "an
honourable deed", since, in the second instance, the word is
pronounced "onorable", with the "h" silent ("arridan" being no more
acceptable than "enry" <g>). Good, a rule I can understand...
But, more and more, the "rule" seems to be fraying at the edges, till
I'm worried - more than usual - about opening my mouth in "real life"
rather than in writing...
Take "history"; it's almost always preceded by "an" when written.
Should I, then, say "an istorical fact"? Same for "hotel". I know the
"h" is silent *in French*, but, should I say "an otel reservation" in
English?
And, yesterday - in an otherwise great book - I got another one: "an
Hispanic maid". Have I been adding, for all those years an H where it
ad no place, like a mad Cockney who drops and insterts is aitches
indiscriminately? I ave been saying "hispanic" but obviously, I should
have been saying "ispanic"...
Yours, a foreigner puzzled...
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