On Thu, Mar 11, 2010 at 7:12 AM, Mike Lynch <mjly...@mchsi.com> wrote: > stosss wrote: >> On Wed, Mar 10, 2010 at 6:28 AM, Mike Lynch <mjly...@mchsi.com> wrote: >> >>> stosss wrote: >>> >>>> On Tue, Mar 9, 2010 at 9:32 PM, stosss <sto...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>>> Paul Brians >>>>> Emeritus Professor of English >>>>> Washington State University >>>>> >>>>> If the word following begins with a vowel sound, the word you want is >>>>> “an”: “Have an apple, Adam.” If the word following begins with a >>>>> consonant, but begins with a vowel sound, you still need “an”: “An >>>>> X-ray will show whether there's a worm in it.” It is nonstandard and >>>>> often considered sloppy speech to utter an “uh” sound in such cases. >>>>> >>>>> The same rule applies to initialisms like “NGO” (for “non-governmental >>>>> organization”). Because the letter N is pronounced “en,” it’s “an NGO” >>>>> but when the phrase is spoken instead of the abbreviation, it’s “a >>>>> non-governmental organization.” >>>>> >>>>> When the following word definitely begins with a consonant sound, you >>>>> need “a”: “A snake told me apples enhance mental abilities.” >>>>> >>>>> Note that the letter Y can be either a vowel or a consonant. Although >>>>> it is sounded as a vowel in words like “pretty,” at the beginning of >>>>> words it is usually sounded as a consonant, as in “a yolk.” >>>>> >>>>> Words beginning with the letter U which start with a Y consonant sound >>>>> like “university” and “utensil” also take an “a”: “a university” and >>>>> “a utensil.” But when an initial U has a vowel sound, the word is >>>>> preceded by “an”: it’s “an umpire,” “an umbrella,” and “an >>>>> understanding.” >>>>> >>>>> As found at: >>>>> >>>>> http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/a.html >>>>> >>>>> also see: >>>>> >>>>> http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html#errors >>>>> >>>>> and >>>>> >>>>> http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/index.html >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>> The articles "a", "an" and "the" can be dropped when there is only one. >>>> >>>> "You are doing an su to root" implies there are more su to root >>>> commands. There is only one su, switch user or super user command. >>>> >>>> "You are doing the su to root" or "you are doing su to root", these >>>> are correct but "a su" and "an su" are incorrect. >>>> >>>> >>> As I read it, the second paragraph above of Paul Brians supports the use >>> of "an" over "a" because "su" >>> is an initialism where the first sound is "es". >>> >> >> "a" and "an" are general. "an apple" means any apple. "the apple" >> means one specific apple. Because there is only one su command the >> "an" does not work because of the context. >> > But "apple" is word and "su" is an initialism. Paul Brians' guide > states specific rules when it comes to initialisms. Those rules are > related to the "sound" of the first letter of the initialism > not the context in which it is used.
su may have been created as an initialism, but technically it is not, su is a command. It does not matter if one is using initials or words the same rules still apply. As already stated "a" and "an" are general "the" is specific. -- http://linuxfromscratch.org/mailman/listinfo/lfs-dev FAQ: http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/faq/ Unsubscribe: See the above information page
