Since Tuesday, November 4, commentators throughout the world have been speaking and writing about Barack Obama's election as President of the United States. I have been reading about what "an historic occasion" and "an historic event" his election is.
I agree about the historic nature of Senator Obama's election. However, I have some issues with the grammar.
The article an is correct before historic if the word is pronounced "istoric." A is the correct article if the word is pronounced "historic," beginning with an h sound.
In print, at least in the United States, where the word is normally pronounced with an h, the correct written form is "a historic."
Here's the basic rule: If the word begins with a consonant sound, the correct article is a. If the word begins with a vowel sound, the correct article is an. Read more about this subject in my earlier post here.
Don't make a/an error in grammar! Be sure to choose the correct article. (In the first sentence in this paragraph, choose an.)
Lynn
Syntax Training