19 Comments
- 15
- 12
it is an historical date - 'an' can be used before a noun beginning with H eg an hotel etc
Not just any word beginning with H - I think only ones where the first syllable is not stressed. "an hotel, an historical date" work but not "an hero" or "an helicopter".
It's a fairly old rule and I'm not sure how many people still speak like this.
- 15
- 12
yes you're right but I hadn't realised that distinction until now. I've just realised 'historical' is actually an adjective, but what you say about a noun would still be correct for adjectives I think.
I think so, too - I've edited my post to replace "noun" by "word".
- 17
- 12
- 9
- 9
- 8
- 6
- 5
- 3
- 2
- 2
It's only "old-fashioned" because we aren't properly taught how to speak in primary school. I myself rarely use it, cos none of my childhood peers did, but my mum taught me it.
Interestingly, it's fairly widespread in the countryside and West of the UK! The n functions as a mouth shape to allow the sound to flow more easily.
I think this rule also applies to the word "the", pronounced as "th" before a consonant, and "thē" before h or a vowel.
Yes, you bring up very valid points. My mom was a stickler for correct English but outside the house it's so easy to follow the crowd.
We naturally just change our pronunciation for the the before consonants to "thē" before h or a vowel. Non-native speakers have to be instructed. But at least in the printed form, there's no problem as with a/an.
Thanks for your contribution.
In my opinion, it's not a great loss for you. I think most native English speakers do not follow this rule any more.
It seems like a very old-fashioned rule to me.
I'm afraid you cannot use "an" before "hotel" because the h does not have a vowel sound as in "honest". This is per American English which is what is used on Duo.
My understanding was that Duolingo teaches American English but accepts other forms of English as well -- at least British English.
Yes, I stand corrected! So, we need to accept "an hotel" thanks for reminding me my apologies.
I would probably not have added it to the course on my own, since in my experience it's only a minority who uses this form... but if someone suggests it, it should probably be added because it's not wrong, just a bit old-fashioned/conservative.
- 25
- 25
- 25
- 15
- 11
- 10
- 8
- 7
- 6
- 6
- 5
- 4
- 3
- 3
- 3
- 2
Yes, you can. Honest. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/an
Sorry, it was an honest mistake. Dumb pun, but I am sorry; you know I always include BE whenever it's needed. I've added it to the incubator.
- 25
- 25
- 25
- 15
- 11
- 10
- 8
- 7
- 6
- 6
- 5
- 4
- 3
- 3
- 3
- 2
No need to be sorry but it is correct in either form of the language - it's not a British/American issue. There are some comparison graphs here. http://betterwritingskills.com/tip-w005.html
- 22
It is grammatically correct to use AN in front of H. This must be fixed
Both "a" and "an" are included in the accepted translations. If your reply wasn't accepted there might be another issue. If it occurs again please send a screenshot showing the question, your answer and the reply.
