Which is correct usage?
A. James joined an historical society in Atlanta during his years living in Georgia.
B. James joined a historical society in Atlanta during his years living in Georgia.
PenPal says:
If you chose the second sentence (B), you are correct. The only time you use the article “an” before a word starting with an “h” is when that words starts out with a silent “h” and thus a vowel sound. If the “h” is audible, then the article before it should be “a.”
Examples:
I have an hour to waste while I wait for my ride. (“hour” starts with a vowel sound)
She appears to be a happy person. (“happy” starts with an audible “h”)
Martin has a huge chip on his shoulder these days. (“huge” starts with an audible “h”)
Kim received an honorary degree from NYU. (“honorary” starts with a vowel sound)
Simple as A, B…H!
________
Cathy Kodra a/k/a PenPal
Cathy Kodra works as an independent editor in Knoxville, TN. Her poetry and short stories have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies including Roanoke Review, New Millennium Writings, Common Ground Review, Now & Then, Cavalier Literary Couture, Slow Trains, Still Crazy, The Medulla Review, Prime Mincer, Yemassee, and others. She is a contributing editor for New Millennium Writings and past guest poetry editor for The Medulla Review. She was first runner up in Prime Mincer’s 2011 Poetry Contest, judged by Rodney Jones, and took first place in the 2012 Old Gray Cemetery Poetry Contest. Cathy’s first poetry chapbook, Thin Ice, was published in 2011 by Medulla Publishing.
Cathy is a member of the Knoxville Writers’ Guild and of two local writing groups. An avid reader and writer, she is currently working on two poetry collections and a collection of short stories. Her hobbies include gardening and vegan cooking, and she lives happily with her husband Ron, two dogs, and a cat. She can be reached at www.cathykodra.com.
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