What is the correct grammar

[Mike375]

Before the initials FRACS do you write "he is an FRACP" or "he is a FRACP". Of course it will be spoken as "he is an FRACP"

Same obviously exists with initials beginning with M or N.

If I write a letter to someone I will have "the policy requires a medical by an FRACP"

However, I have to prepare a document that is not specific to an individual, in other words it is not a letter and I want correct grammar as opposed to being easy to read.

I thought that since this was a UK based forum etc.

 

[ajetrumpet]

Once again, you are not making sense. That's so typical of you...

 

[Minkey]

I think I know what he's on about.

Technically speaking an is only used when the first letter of the next word begins in a vowel...so it would be a FRACP (Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians)

However because you pronounce F as eff it sounds correct to use an rather than a.

It common now for written English to follow spoken so in this case you could construct the sentence different depending on if you use the abbreviation or the full name or if it's spoken or written:

"he is an F(eff)RACP" (sounds correct)
"he is a FRACP" (written correctly)
"he is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians"
but you can't have "he is an Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians" obviously.

I would call this one a grey area, I would just let my brain decide at the time (so it would probably be wrong )

 

[Rabbie]

This link confirms what Minkey is saying except you should say and write an FRCSP for example

 

[Mike375]

I think I know what he's on about.

You got in one.

I am going with "an"

Because there will be a lot of different specialities and hence lots of FR* my business partner suggested we do "a" for the first few and then "an" for the rest. The basis of his suggestion was it would illustrate we recognised the problem.

ajetrumpet might have got confused because I had FRACS at the start of the post.

As a side note, do you have some connection with the medical system?Doctor, nurse, Pharm Co representative etc.

 

[Mike375]

This link confirms what Minkey is saying except you should say and write an FRCSP for example

Thanks for that link Rabbie, that is quite handy.

 

[Minkey]

As a side note, do you have some connection with the medical system?Doctor, nurse, Pharm Co representative etc.

Me ? no you mentioned medical so clicky

 

[Rich]

Once again, you are not making sense. That's so typical of you...

That's because you only use slang

 

[Mike375]

Me ? no you mentioned medical so clicky

The wonders of Google.

 

[statsman]

The Canadian Press style book is always my fallback on questions like this. They state that "an" is only to be used if the next word starts with a vowell, regardless of how its pronounced.

You can probably find somthing similar in Oz.

 

[Rabbie]

The Canadian Press style book is always my fallback on questions like this. They state that "an" is only to be used if the next word starts with a vowell, regardless of how its pronounced.

You can probably find somthing similar in Oz.

That may be correct in Canada but the reference I gave quotes "Fowlers modern English Usage" which defines the correct usage for UK English. The fact that the language is called English should be a clue to which is correct.

Language of course is constantly changing with written language lagging behind spoken language so I guess it's best to write something that sounds right in the context.

 

[Mike375]

since u r a fracp r u going to by this policy b4 monday

I have had people apply for a job over email with that sort of typing.

 

[oumahexi]

English just isn't the same anymore. There are so many new words being introduced from our migrant friends, and with the advent of email and texts the fine arts of spelling and grammar are rapidly disappearing. We even have teachers who throw a fit if their spell checker doesn't work! It is sad, but progress can never be found without change.

 

[KenHigg]

...from our migrant friends

You blaming someone else?

My brother teaches high school and every day the kids use a word to mean something new. If you don't keep up, in a couple weeks you can't follow their conversation at all -

 

[KenHigg]

Nope, not blaming anyone. Simply making an observation. Does someone have to blamed?

Yes. Let's blame Rich. He uses slang words all the time like chinkie, etc.

 

[wazz]

the same question comes up in nearly every book about SQL. often the authors explain their decision to use 'a' or 'an' based on how they say the term.

- "this is a SQL statement" (sequel)
- "this is an SQL statement" (ess queue ell)

 

[Rich]

Yes. Let's blame Rich. He uses slang words all the time like chinkie, etc.

You can't even spell the word correctly, it's chinky and funnily enough it's a Friday, sooooooooooooooo
Oh and it's been part of the lingo where I live for over 40yrs so

 

[Deleted member 30250]

English just isn't the same anymore.

It never was. Language is not, despite the pedants who wish it were, static. It developed from the first slightly-more-complex-than-a-grunt uttered by our distant ancestors, and has never stood still since.

After a while, new words become accepted by the general populace, then by the Oxford English Dictionary, then (eventually) by stick-in-the-muds. Surely even they wouldn't raise their eyebrows at 'pyjamas', but from http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/yourvoice/origins.shtml I quote: ". . . we borrowed it from Hindi, which took it from the Persian for 'leg' and 'garment'. But where did those words come from? Where did Persian come from, for that matter?"

Written language is a tool for communication. Having certain rules to follow, maintaining some level of consistent grammar and spelling, facilitates unambiguous communication with a wide range of people. But if normally literate people cannot agree on their application they're missing the point. I believe in reading a written passage aloud, since it seems to me that our brains sort of do that when we read. If a piece of prose is awkward to read aloud, or difficult for a listener to follow when it is read to them, it probably requires amendment. So I'd go for "an FRACP".

 

[GaryPanic]

with reference to "a" versus "an" depends a lot on the type of document you are using , any legal documents will define at the start certain definations as it becomes too comlicated to makes legal contracts grammar correct, also certian puncutations are also deliberately left out .. so that there is movement for legal intreputation

 

[statsman]

That may be correct in Canada but the reference I gave quotes "Fowlers modern English Usage" which defines the correct usage for UK English. The fact that the language is called English should be a clue to which is correct.

Odd, I would never have taken a Scot to be an expert on English

I use the CP style book when uncertain. Primarily it's to have someone to blame when the reader points out a gramatical error.