October 27th, 2009 / 2:10 pm
Mean

Grammar Lesson: Mom, I’ve decided to get a MFA!

drunkshithimselfChris Higgs’ post schooled me on the proper use of the apostrophe after singular nouns that end in ‘s’ to show possession, so I figured I’d post my own grammar lesson.

From The OWL@Purdue:

Note: The choice of article is actually based upon the phonetic (sound) quality of the first letter in a word, not on the orthographic (written) representation of the letter. If the first letter makes a vowel-type sound, you use “an”; if the first letter would make a consonant-type sound, you use “a.” So, if you consider the rule from a phonetic perspective, there aren’t any exceptions. Since the ‘h’ hasn’t any phonetic representation, no audible sound, in the first exception, the sound that follows the article is a vowel; consequently, ‘an’ is used. In the second exception, the word-initial ‘y’ sound (unicorn) is actually a glide [j] phonetically, which has consonantal properties; consequently, it is treated as a consonant, requiring ‘a’.

Folks, please do not write the article ‘a’ before the acronym ‘MFA.’ If you do that, then I will think you went to a low-ranked MFA program. Not your fault, though; you didn’t know any better. If you’d rather not worry about the a/an thing, you’re perfectly welcome to write out in full that you received a Master of Fine Arts, as I will do when I apply for a job at Half Price Books this Spring once my contract is up at the university.

Or you can just skip over the whole confusing mess and either a) study writing on your own and save yourself lots of money/stress or b) get a PhD in Literature and Creative Writing, thus making all MFAers on the job market collectively shit themselves. Phhhhddddd.

81 Comments

  1. Tim Jones-Yelvington

      I’ma get a mfa

  2. Tim Jones-Yelvington

      I’ma get a mfa

  3. Gene Morgan

      y’all

  4. Gene Morgan

      y’all

  5. Adam Robinson

      “MFAs here! Get your MFA!”

  6. Adam Robinson

      “MFAs here! Get your MFA!”

  7. Tim Jones-Yelvington

      I actually really like the efficiency of “I’ma”

  8. Tim Jones-Yelvington

      I actually really like the efficiency of “I’ma”

  9. Matthew Simmons
  10. Matthew Simmons
  11. Ellen Parker

      But sometimes people in a particular industry pronounce the acronym as an actual word. Like, I used to do copy editing for an engineering firm, and one of the engineers wrote: “We excavated 16 feet below ground and we removed an UST.” (UST is an acronym for underground storage tank.) And I was like, You mean you “removed a UST”? And she’s like, No, we removed an ust. I learned (after working there a pretty long time) that in the industry they call U.S.T.s “usts.” So, yeah, they removed an ust here and an ust there. Now, there are also LUSTs–leaking underground storage tanks. So she could have written “We excavated 16 feet below ground and we removed a LUST” and I wouldn’t have batted an eye.

  12. Ellen Parker

      But sometimes people in a particular industry pronounce the acronym as an actual word. Like, I used to do copy editing for an engineering firm, and one of the engineers wrote: “We excavated 16 feet below ground and we removed an UST.” (UST is an acronym for underground storage tank.) And I was like, You mean you “removed a UST”? And she’s like, No, we removed an ust. I learned (after working there a pretty long time) that in the industry they call U.S.T.s “usts.” So, yeah, they removed an ust here and an ust there. Now, there are also LUSTs–leaking underground storage tanks. So she could have written “We excavated 16 feet below ground and we removed a LUST” and I wouldn’t have batted an eye.

  13. Tim Jones-Yelvington

      Wish somebody would remove my leaking underground storage tank.

  14. Tim Jones-Yelvington

      Wish somebody would remove my leaking underground storage tank.

  15. Ellen Parker

      Because I knew they called LUSTs “lusts.” But I didn’t know they called USTs “usts.”

  16. Ellen Parker

      Because I knew they called LUSTs “lusts.” But I didn’t know they called USTs “usts.”

  17. Ryan Call

      so wait, mephaw?

  18. Ryan Call

      so wait, mephaw?

  19. jensen

      there might be some connection between that photo and leaky tanks, but i’m too grossed out to make it.

  20. jensen

      there might be some connection between that photo and leaky tanks, but i’m too grossed out to make it.

  21. Nathan Tyree

      I real annoyance for me: it is AN history of Ireland, not A history of ireland

  22. Nathan Tyree

      I real annoyance for me: it is AN history of Ireland, not A history of ireland

  23. Vaughan Simons

      All this talk of MFAs is getting immensely tedious. Especially when I’m reading from the UK, where in certain urban quarters ‘MFA’ means something quite different.

      I don’t have a/an MFA. Clearly, in some eyes, that makes me a complete and utter MFA.

  24. Vaughan Simons

      All this talk of MFAs is getting immensely tedious. Especially when I’m reading from the UK, where in certain urban quarters ‘MFA’ means something quite different.

      I don’t have a/an MFA. Clearly, in some eyes, that makes me a complete and utter MFA.

  25. Ryan Call

      does the accent make it mean something different?

  26. Ryan Call

      does the accent make it mean something different?

  27. Ellen Parker

      YIKES! (pronounced “yikes!”)

  28. Graham

      Actually, it is A history, unless you don’t enunciate your “h.”

      An ‘istory, a history.

  29. Ellen Parker

      YIKES! (pronounced “yikes!”)

  30. Graham

      Actually, it is A history, unless you don’t enunciate your “h.”

      An ‘istory, a history.

  31. Amy McDaniel

      i say a history because i breathe my haitches, but it’s hard for me to say, aloud, a historical ____. i say an historical ___

  32. Amy McDaniel

      i say a history because i breathe my haitches, but it’s hard for me to say, aloud, a historical ____. i say an historical ___

  33. Nathan Tyree

      from the article above:

      “Since the ‘h’ hasn’t any phonetic representation, no audible sound, in the first exception, the sound that follows the article is a vowel; consequently, ‘an’ is used”

      It is the way I was taught, back in the middle ages. AN History.

  34. Nathan Tyree

      from the article above:

      “Since the ‘h’ hasn’t any phonetic representation, no audible sound, in the first exception, the sound that follows the article is a vowel; consequently, ‘an’ is used”

      It is the way I was taught, back in the middle ages. AN History.

  35. Nathan Tyree

      boy, I mangled that

  36. Nathan Tyree

      boy, I mangled that

  37. Amy McDaniel

      from Garner’s Modern American Usage:
      “People worry about whether the correct article is a or an with historian, historic, and a few other words. Most authorities have supported a over an. The traditional rule is that if the h- is sounded, then a is the proper form. So people who aspirate their h’s and follow that rule would say a historian and a historic. This is now a new “rule.” …
      “The theory behind using an in such a context is that the h- is weak when the accent is on the second rather than the first syllable. Thus no authority countenances an history, though a few older ones prefer an historian and an historical.”

  38. Amy McDaniel

      from Garner’s Modern American Usage:
      “People worry about whether the correct article is a or an with historian, historic, and a few other words. Most authorities have supported a over an. The traditional rule is that if the h- is sounded, then a is the proper form. So people who aspirate their h’s and follow that rule would say a historian and a historic. This is now a new “rule.” …
      “The theory behind using an in such a context is that the h- is weak when the accent is on the second rather than the first syllable. Thus no authority countenances an history, though a few older ones prefer an historian and an historical.”

  39. Amy McDaniel

      oops it should read “This is NOT a new rule.”

  40. Amy McDaniel

      oops it should read “This is NOT a new rule.”

  41. Amy McDaniel

      also, you’ve taken the quote out of context. it’s just talking about the h in words like honorable, not all. you say “a happy girl,” “a hitchhiker,” etc.

  42. Amy McDaniel

      also, you’ve taken the quote out of context. it’s just talking about the h in words like honorable, not all. you say “a happy girl,” “a hitchhiker,” etc.

  43. Amy McDaniel

      sorry, didn’t see this before i continued haranguing you…

  44. Amy McDaniel

      sorry, didn’t see this before i continued haranguing you…

  45. Sean

      I can’t handle that photo.

  46. Vaughan Simons

      I have heard the ‘kidz’ (of whom I most definitely am not one) in London refer to each other as ‘MFA’. I think they might be talking about someone’s mother or something.

      Unless they’re referring to the Marine and Fisheries Agency: http://www.mfa.gov.uk/

  47. Sean

      I can’t handle that photo.

  48. Vaughan Simons

      I have heard the ‘kidz’ (of whom I most definitely am not one) in London refer to each other as ‘MFA’. I think they might be talking about someone’s mother or something.

      Unless they’re referring to the Marine and Fisheries Agency: http://www.mfa.gov.uk/

  49. Nathan Tyree

      It quick look at books shows that the standard has been such:

      “An History of Birmingham (1783) by William Hutton”

      or

      An History of the Corruptions of Christianity, published by Joseph Johnson in 1782

      or

      An history of Ireland, from the year 1599, to 1603

      I can find hundreds of examples pre 1900. A History seems to have creeped in much later. Perhaps I was taught in some classic tradition.

      And of course I say “a happy girl” the H in that phrase is fully enunciated in all cases, unlike the unenunciated H in history

  50. Nathan Tyree

      It quick look at books shows that the standard has been such:

      “An History of Birmingham (1783) by William Hutton”

      or

      An History of the Corruptions of Christianity, published by Joseph Johnson in 1782

      or

      An history of Ireland, from the year 1599, to 1603

      I can find hundreds of examples pre 1900. A History seems to have creeped in much later. Perhaps I was taught in some classic tradition.

      And of course I say “a happy girl” the H in that phrase is fully enunciated in all cases, unlike the unenunciated H in history

  51. Nathan Tyree

      harangue away.

      I still think that an is the correct article to precede history is most cases. I mangled the initial post. Still, arguing over grammar makes me very happy

  52. Nathan Tyree

      harangue away.

      I still think that an is the correct article to precede history is most cases. I mangled the initial post. Still, arguing over grammar makes me very happy

  53. Amy McDaniel

      I know, I realized by the time stamp afterward that you were by no means ‘umbled by me. This all makes me ‘appy too. H.G. Fowler, the conservative Oxford usage expert, wrote in 1944, after dismissing “an history” out of hand: “an was formerly usual before an unaccented syllable beginning with an h (an historical work) but now that the h in such words is pronounced the distinction has become pedantic, & a historical should be said & written; similarly an humble is now meaningless and undesirable.” so, the pre-1900 writers clearly actually said “‘istory,” but nobody has said that in 90 years unless they are cockney. are you 92 or cockney? H.G. Fowler is the classic tradition, so I think you might have just had a teacher who had some wrong info.

  54. Amy McDaniel

      I know, I realized by the time stamp afterward that you were by no means ‘umbled by me. This all makes me ‘appy too. H.G. Fowler, the conservative Oxford usage expert, wrote in 1944, after dismissing “an history” out of hand: “an was formerly usual before an unaccented syllable beginning with an h (an historical work) but now that the h in such words is pronounced the distinction has become pedantic, & a historical should be said & written; similarly an humble is now meaningless and undesirable.” so, the pre-1900 writers clearly actually said “‘istory,” but nobody has said that in 90 years unless they are cockney. are you 92 or cockney? H.G. Fowler is the classic tradition, so I think you might have just had a teacher who had some wrong info.

  55. Nathan Tyree

      Amy McDaniel

      I despise the fact that replies stop working after a while.

      I find it interesting that Fowler dismisses the use of ‘an’ before historical as well as history. A historical account just seems ungainly (whereas a history just seems wrong, but sounds okay).

      Perhaps I was schooled by a 92 year old Cockney teacher.

      I still like the sound (and feel) of an history. It has always seemed to me that the ‘h’ in history is barely there when the word is said (whereas the ‘H’ in happy is a clear exhalation).

      I may be, at this point, ‘umbled a bit

  56. Nathan Tyree

      Amy McDaniel

      I despise the fact that replies stop working after a while.

      I find it interesting that Fowler dismisses the use of ‘an’ before historical as well as history. A historical account just seems ungainly (whereas a history just seems wrong, but sounds okay).

      Perhaps I was schooled by a 92 year old Cockney teacher.

      I still like the sound (and feel) of an history. It has always seemed to me that the ‘h’ in history is barely there when the word is said (whereas the ‘H’ in happy is a clear exhalation).

      I may be, at this point, ‘umbled a bit

  57. Amy McDaniel

      yikes, H.W. Fowler, that is

  58. Amy McDaniel

      yikes, H.W. Fowler, that is

  59. Graham

      Whoa, Amy got my back. Thanks!

  60. sasha fletcher

      muffa

  61. Graham

      Whoa, Amy got my back. Thanks!

  62. sasha fletcher

      muffa

  63. Amy McDaniel

      Like I said before, I prefer to say, out loud, an historical. It sounds better to me. But I would never say, “She’s an history teacher who just had an hysterectomy.”

  64. Amy McDaniel

      Like I said before, I prefer to say, out loud, an historical. It sounds better to me. But I would never say, “She’s an history teacher who just had an hysterectomy.”

  65. Nathan Tyree

      obviously not an hysterectomy. Not even an history teacher. Oddly, in my brain the rule only applies to histories of things (as in book titles) such as “An History of Birmingham”. I may have had the rule wrong, but it still feels right.

  66. Nathan Tyree

      obviously not an hysterectomy. Not even an history teacher. Oddly, in my brain the rule only applies to histories of things (as in book titles) such as “An History of Birmingham”. I may have had the rule wrong, but it still feels right.

  67. Amy McDaniel

      “An History of Birmingham” has a certain charming kind of stodgy British sound to it that I have an easy affection for. i’m glad you are so congenial–i try to reserve my grammar peevishness for those times, like in your initial post, when someone tries to correct something that is already overwhelmingly correct. like how people think “i feel good” is wrong, when actually it’s a correct use of a predicate adjective. so, thanks for being game.

  68. Amy McDaniel

      “An History of Birmingham” has a certain charming kind of stodgy British sound to it that I have an easy affection for. i’m glad you are so congenial–i try to reserve my grammar peevishness for those times, like in your initial post, when someone tries to correct something that is already overwhelmingly correct. like how people think “i feel good” is wrong, when actually it’s a correct use of a predicate adjective. so, thanks for being game.

  69. Matt K

      I like this pronunciation.

  70. Ryan Call

      there was another one that i was going ot use, but i almost threw up when i looked at it.

  71. Ryan Call

      there was another one that i was going ot use, but i almost threw up when i looked at it.

  72. Ryan Call

      thank you amy and nathan for your comments. i enjoy reading these kinds of convos about grammar stuff.

  73. Ryan Call

      thank you amy and nathan for your comments. i enjoy reading these kinds of convos about grammar stuff.

  74. Nathan (Nate) Tyree

      Ryan

      Thanks for starting this. I love tossing about in the minutia of grammar. Even when I’m wrong

  75. Nathan (Nate) Tyree

      Ryan

      Thanks for starting this. I love tossing about in the minutia of grammar. Even when I’m wrong

  76. Christopher Higgs

      Don’t think I missed your misuse of the apostrophe -s- on my family name, Ryan Call.

      I think Mean Week is getting out of hand.

      :)

  77. Christopher Higgs

      Don’t think I missed your misuse of the apostrophe -s- on my family name, Ryan Call.

      I think Mean Week is getting out of hand.

      :)

  78. Ryan Call

      nooooooooooooooooo!

  79. Ryan Call

      nooooooooooooooooo!

  80. Ellen Parker

      I saw that (Christopher Higgs’), too, was too polite to comment. Must get into the spirit of Mean Week.

  81. Ellen Parker

      I saw that (Christopher Higgs’), too, was too polite to comment. Must get into the spirit of Mean Week.