Cerca tra vari insegnanti di Inglese...
🙆🏻‍♀️
Hello, how are you doing lately? I have a question can you just take a few minutes to help me? I'll be thankful 🙏 Is it right to write " a unique" instead of an unique? Thanks in advance 😊
10 apr 2022 20:04
Risposte · 18
3
If the question is about whether to use "a" or "an", the reason why you would use "a" before "unique" is because it starts with a consonant sound- what might be called a "y" sound or represented by the phonetic symbol /j/. It's not whether the first letter is a vowel or a consonant that governs whether to use "a" or "an", it's whether the first sound is a vowel or consonant sound. But I would also point out that "unique" is an adjective, not a noun. So you need to say or write "a unique" something: a unique point of view, a unique history, etc.
10 aprile 2022
2
"a unique" is correct, as is "a university", "a unicorn", "a ubiquitous material", etc. Even though "u" is a vowel, these "u" words start with a "y" sound, so you stick with the article "a" for pronunciation reasons.
10 aprile 2022
2
The rule for "a" or "an" is a phonetic rule, not an orthographic rule. The rule is that the indefinite article "a" is used before a singular countable noun such as "cat" (or before the modifiers for a singulary countable noun such as "large black cat") and becomes "an" when the following word begins with a vowel sound. an apple a red apple a banana an old banana "a" become "an" when the following word begins with a vowel sound due to a silent "h." an hour an hourly wage a hat [not pronounced with a silent "h"] a hotel / an 'otel [depends on the age and region of the speaker] "a" is used before words that start with "u" and "eu" when they are pronounced with an initial "y." a university [pronounced "yuniversity"] a universal truth [pronounced "yuniversal"] an ugly dog [pronounced "ugly dog"] a European language [pronounced yuropean] More information: https://grammar.collinsdictionary.com/easy-learning/the-indefinite-article [excerpt] They joined a historical society. They joined an historical society. (old-fashioned English) They were staying at a hotel. They were staying at an hotel. (old-fashioned English)
10 aprile 2022
It’s all about (sounds) not letters So, since the adjective Unique begins with the letter (u) which is a vowel, but it’s pronounced as (yoo) which is a consonant sound, then we use the determiner( a) not (an) Hope you got it🙏🏻
11 aprile 2022
despite the rule....most people say and write "a" unique....
10 aprile 2022
Mostra altro
Non hai ancora trovato le tue risposte?
Scrivi le tue domande e lascia che i madrelingua ti aiutino!

Non perdere l'opportunità di imparare una lingua comodamente da casa tua. Esplora la nostra selezione di insegnanti di lingue esperti e iscriviti subito alla tua prima lezione!