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Subject: A or An
Dona,
I was in your Writer's Toolkit class a few weeks ago. I can't seem to find the answer to a question. I'm writing a training course about SBA loans. I think it should be "an SBA loan" because the "s" is pronounced like it starts with a vowel when you say it. To me, this sounds better, but a co-worker thinks it should be "a SBA loan." That seems right, according to grammar rules: "a" before a consonant, "an" before a vowel. However, in my mind "a SBA loan" doesn't sound right. If I were speaking, it would sound right to me to say "an SBA loan."
C. B.
C.B., good to hear from you.
I agree with your interpretation that it should be "an SBA loan." I also checked with the Gregg Reference Manual, which said go by "sound not by letter." Many consonants are pronounced with a vowel sound coming first; for example, "an m or an n," but "a t or a v." You are smart to trust your instincts and search out a deeper answer. Grammar is almost always more complex than we initially think!
Dona
Subject: Quick grammatical question
I'm having subject/object confusion about a photo caption in our newsletter! Should this be "we" or "us"? "A grandfather tree, hundreds of years older than any of us (we?) humans, looms majestically in the Pioneer Mother area of the Hoosier National Forest" Argh!
D. B.
Wow, D. B., I'm impressed. This is a complicated question. "Than" is a
conjunction and a subject and verb often follow it. However, "of" needs an object, so the final answer is "us." The sentence actually reads "older than any of us humans (are old)."
Have a great day!
Dona
