Indefinite article 'a' or 'an'?

Question

Example: I'm looking at an old book.

It's quite common for English speakers to always use the indefinite article 'an' before any vowel. However, is it actually grammatically correct? Since 'a' or 'an' describes the noun and not the adjective, shouldn't it be correctly written, I'm looking at a old book? Because we don't say an book, we say a book.

Furthermore, if that is correct, than what about Proper names for nouns?

Example: I'm looking at an "Undergraduate Major Change" form.

We're describing two things here, an undergraduate major change and a form. It sounds odd, but couldn't it be correctly written with 'a' since we're still describing a form?

Answer 1

It doesn't matter what noun is being used -- it matters what word follows the article.

Written English comes from spoken English -- and it is clumsy to use a word after 'a' if it starts with a vowel.

This is true in in other languages as well. In French, the word "Le" or "La" is used in the way we use "a" -- but when the next word starts with a vowel, a contraction is used. For example, they would use "L'epoche" instead of "La Epoche." But when an adjective is thrown in -- it will go back to "La" when the ajective starts with a consonent -- as in "La Belle Epoche."

Answer 2

If the article is right before a word that starts with a vowel (or a word like "hour" that starts with a vowel sound) "an" is used. It doen't matter what word it is describing because "a old book" just doesn't sound right (and it's hard to say).

It's the same with proper nouns. It's only like this because "a Undergraduate Major Change" doesn't sound right.

Answer 3

But because you have the word OLD in front of it, and it starts with a vowel, you need to say AN. It is this way to make it easier to pronounce. It doesnt matter technically because a and an mean the same thing. The only reason the n is added is to make pronounciation easier. It can be kinda hard to say a old book without making a pause.
You are describing the form, that is correct, but as i said, its all about pronounciation.

Another example of confusion is when people ask if its correct to say

"It starts with a L"
or
"It starts with an L"

Yes, L is a consonant, but because of the 'e' sound before it when we pronounce it (which would make it 'El' ), we have to use 'an' to make it sound right. This is just another example of the only difference between 'a' and 'an' : it depends on what comes right after it.

Answer 4

The indefinite article describes the noun, but the "n" is used to separate two vowel sounds.

that is why you have a book, and you have an old book.

Answer 5

I think the whole idea was that you separate the "a" from the next word's vowel (being a noun of an adjective) by putting the "n" there, making it an "an". Hope I'm right.

Answer 6

No, no, no. no! You use 'a' before a word (any word, not just a noun) starting with a consonant, and you use 'an' before a word (any word, not just a noun) starting with a vowel. It's as simple as that.

Answer 7

Indefinite articles in Spanish are: un - a/an (masculine) una - a/an (female) unas - some (female) unos - some (masculine) As they are "a/some" they are actually not particular and indefinite. sure articles are: l. a. - the (female) el - the (mascule) los - those (masculine) las - those (female) as they talk with particular gadgets, they are sure

Answer 8

I believe you switch between 'a' and 'an' because it helps clarify the pronounciation of the phrase, not because it's tightly linked the noun.

Answer 9

If you speak these examples out loud to yourself you will notice how horrible it sounds if you use "a" in there.