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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2007An MS Access download or A MS Access download?
That is the question. I offer a database project, but am unsure of how to describe it. Also have a problem with "An NG2000 exclusive," or "A NG2000 exclusive." Thoughts? ===== Top 10 English Grammar News Stories: http://www.ng2000.com/fw.php?tp=English;grammar >That is the question. I offer a database project, but am unsure of how >to describe it. Also have a problem with "An NG2000 exclusive," or "A >NG2000 exclusive." The choice of "a" or "an" is entirely dependent on the sound that follows. If you expect your audience will mentally expand acronyms when reading them, then you would write "a [Microsoft=MS] Access download". If you do not, then you would write "an [em ess=MS] Access download". (Since the name of the program is "Microsoft Access", the company would prefer you wrote it that way, in which case no ambiguity arises.) There is no hard and fast rule. -GAWollman  SignatureGarrett A. Wollman | The real tragedy of human existence is not that we are wollman@csail.mit.edu| nasty by nature, but that a cruel structural asymmetry Opinions not those | grants to rare events of meanness such power to shape of MIT or CSAIL. | our history. - S.J. Gould, Ten Thousand Acts of Kindness > The choice of "a" or "an" is entirely dependent on the sound that > follows. ... There is no hard and fast rule. Yes there is, and you just gave it! SignatureMark Brader, Toronto | "This is an excellent opportunity for msb@vex.net | out-of-context quoting..." --Mike Hardy > > The choice of "a" or "an" is entirely dependent on the sound that > > follows. ... There is no hard and fast rule. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Mark Brader, Toronto | "This is an excellent opportunity for > msb@vex.net | out-of-context quoting..." --Mike Hardy Thanks to all. To be safe, I think I'll stick to spelling out Micro$oft Access as suggested - and then apply the appropriate rule. > That is the question. I offer a database project, but am unsure of how > to describe it. I prefer "an" there. I think most readers are likely to read it as "Emm Ess" than as "Microsoft". SignatureSalvatore Volatile > > That is the question. I offer a database project, but am unsure of how > > to describe it. > > I prefer "an" there. I think most readers are likely to read it as "Emm > Ess" than as "Microsoft". Personally I prefer "a". Perhaps this is because I read a lot of documents containing Microsoft and/or MS therefore I am more likely to mentally expand it the acronym? |
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