It's a(an) Honor to Witness a(an) Historical Event

Most of the time, it's clear which article to use, a or an: a before consonants, an before vowels. However, over the years, I've edited a number of manuscripts by well-educated authors who have slipped up when confronted by an H or an acronym. Here's what several reliable resources say:

Use the article a before consonant sounds: a historic event, a one-year term (sounds as if it begins with a w), a united stand (sounds like you). Use the article an before vowel sounds: an energy crisis, an honorable man (the h is silent), an NBA record (sounds like it begins with e), an 1890s celebration. (quoted from The Associated Press Stylebook; 2000)

Such forms as "an historical study" or "an union" are not idiomatic in American English. Before a pronounced h, long u (or eu), and such a word as one, the indefinite article should be a: a hotel, a historical study, a union, such a one; but an honor, an heir. (quoted from The Chicago Manual of Style, 13th ed. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press; 1982: p. 168)

The article a is used before aspirate h (eg, a historic occasion) and nonvocalic y (eg, a ubiquitous organism). Abbreviations and acronyms are preceded by a or an according to the sound following (eg, a UN resolution, an HMO plan). (quoted from American Medical Association Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors, 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 1998)

Even an MBA graduate or a history professor can get a headache and need to visit an MD when tangling with a and an!

Background and Philosophy, in Short

I'm opening this blog by penning a few words about myself and my work.

I was an avid reader as a child, progressing from children's books to the works of Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, and the Bronte sisters by 4th grade. I also was a wonderful writer during this period; my teachers told me that my ideas and stories were great, but my grammar and spelling stunk!

Sometime around high school, I stopped reading for enjoyment. Likewise, I stopped writing creatively during my freshman year. I can't tell you why; perhaps being overwhelmed by college coursework or being more interested in my social life took a toll.

During my sophomore year, I accompanied a friend to a local bookstore. While she shopped, I fidgeted, finding little to interest me. Until I saw All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot. Always a sucker for animals, I bought the book on impulse and thus became reacquainted with the wonderful world of books, writing, and words. My spelling and grammar also improved during this time, thankfully!

I majored in communications and minored in English in college. After graduation, I worked for 12 years as a writer and editor at advertising agencies, magazine publishers, newspapers, and academic journals. For the past five years, I've been employed at a large university library, writing newsletters, Web content, and press releases and doing graphic design and creating Web pages. During this time, I've remained active in editing, doing freelance work for local authors of all genres.

And I still read...everything I can get my hands on! From National Geographic to the hilarious novels of Christopher Moore to Bill Clinton's My Life. I don't think anyone can be a good writer unless he/she is a good reader, and to enjoy reading and writing you must understand and love words and language. They are your tools, your friends, and your trade. Words change and evolve but yet give structure to communication. Know them, love them, and play with them.