If I want to say something has uniquely contributed to something, would I say 'it is making a unique contribution', or 'it is making an unique contribution'?

LOL it is so trivial but I'm running them both through my head and I can't work out which is right! A sounds fine, and you wouldn't say an union for instance (would you? [img]graemlins/reallyroll.gif[/img] ). But an is beginning to sound okay as well!

How pedantic! I'd guess it's the first one - "it is making a unique contribution" - it just sounds better to me [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Pedantic? Moi? [img]tongue.gif[/img]

LOL well it's for uni; I don't want the marker to be distracted by grammatical errors that he misses all my brilliant interpretation :D

I dunno if I can take just your word for it though [img]tongue.gif[/img] . I need a consensus ;)

I was taught that unique, since the U there sounds like "you". so we use A. thus it is a unique, a university etc.

gee..I can't believe I said that. :D

You use a instead of an, but pronounce it AY instead of A.
This rule is similar to THEE instead of THE when in front of a word starting with a vowel.

EG The man went to town.
EG Thee animal went to town.

Just ask if you need a better explanation, since that might be a little vague.

akkk more learning,lol but i agree use a before an in sentences requiring a presnt tense...oh did i mention i scored 117 on my iq test.....roflmao not possible for me but i did really

I would be tempted to say "an", but then I am the kind of pedant who would say "an union," so I can't really help you....

Did you know that "bus" should be written "'bus"? You get a lot of points for that.....

EDIT: My use of the word "'bus" doesn't compare too well, so for those of you who cannot spot it, there's an apostrophe at the start of the correct version [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 04-27-2003, 08:06 PM: Message edited by: Mojo ]

From the good people at alt.usage.english, regarding "a vs an":

It's a pronounciation rule, not a spelling one..."Union", etc, are not pronounced "u-" but "yu-", thus an implied consonant and "a".

Well yeah let me just reinforce what others have said:

If the word following the "a" or "an" is pronounced starting with a vowel then you use "an", otherwise use "a". Seeing as "unique" is pronounced "yooneek" i.e. starting with a consonant, you use "a".

And pcgiant is right... in the same way you use "the" pronouncing the "e" like the "i" in "dirt" when the next word is pronounced with a consonant and "the" pronounced "thee" when the next word is pronounced starting with a vowel.

Damn I hate long explanations but I feel it is my civic duty :D

Vaskez and pcgiant are both right. It is based on the "sound" at the beginning of the word not the letter. The reverse of that, is if you are a person the pronounces the word "herb" with a silent h, you would say an herb. It gets into elision on pronounciation. Hope that helps.