November 27, 2000

I read recently that Americans are murdering the English language. I sincerely hope not.

Regarding the use of a and an, I was taught that a is used before words starting with a consonant and an is used before words starting with a vowel, but I had never before head of the "h factor" that was mentioned in your column. I discussed this with my high school age grandsons and they were of the same opinion.

We also discussed the use of "thee" and "the" and I am happy to say that they were taught that the is pronounced "thee" when it proceeds a vowel. I believe that at least in Wisconsin schools are teaching proper English.

We went on to talk about the correct pronunciation of either (eyether.) I have noticed that "eyether" is being used more often then either. What happened to the rule, "when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking?" I am not comfortable using "eyether", but I am trying. Both boys think "eyether" sounds too uppity.

I wish that sometime you would discuss the words, done and finish. Is it incorrect to say," I am done using the scissors"? Are done and finish sometimes interchangeable? While I'm at it, I would like to ask, is snuck a word? I was taught that sneaked is the past tense of sneak, but lately I have heard radio and television announcers using snuck.

Kathryn Flynn
Madison, Wisconsin

Editor's Note: According to the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, the past participle of "do" (done) is synonymous with finished. So you wouldn't be done for if you interchanged them.

Snuck first emerged as a synonym for sneaked in the American South in the late 1800s. Although it appears in most major dictionaries today, some people still refuse to accept the word as legitimate.

It's now very common in speech and informal writing throughout North America, according to the Oxford Guide to Canadian English Usage – which predicts the word "may even sneak into formal writing in the next few years."

September 14, 2000

Thanks for the interesting article on a/an historic(al).

I had a small e-mail skirmish with Veterans Affairs Canada on this topic. Their web-site was plastered with a graphic title containing the words "an historic". When I objected (reasonably calmly), I got a non-committal reply. However, when the web-site was redesigned, the "hilarious" words were gone. I hope we have seen the last of them, but I agree that it may take a while until popular usage is consistent.

If you are looking for a similar topic, may I suggest the pronunciation of "the" before vowels. At least two popular CBC personalities make me snarl at the radio . . . . (with phrases such as) "thuh English army" . . . "thuh elephants" . . . "thuh other day" and "thuh only thing".

We hear that Canadian actors have to take lessons to lose their accents if they have ambitions to work in the States. I really hope that "thuh apple" is not part of the standard TV American English kit.

It's not universal. Bill Clinton still addresses "thee" American people. But my kids seem remarkably tolerant of what I would call errors. Their schools seemed to have skipped the lesson about "thee umbrella" and "thuh unicorn".

John Batchelor
Ottawa

Editor's Note: Many of CBC's senior editors and producers agree with you. But there's sometimes a difference between what's in "thuh rule book" and what's on "thee air".
Here's an excerpt from a chapter of the 1999 CBC Television Style Guide.

Use "thuh" in front of a word that begins with a consonant, including "h". Use "thee" in front of a word that begins with a vowel. An exception is when describing something that is the main – quite often the (thee) only – thing or concept that deserves attention:
For example, "The (thuh) royal reception was considered to be the (thee) party of the season.

The advice is based on a language guide used for years by CBC Radio.

June 8, 2000

Surely, since the CBC is for the most part a vocal medium, the deciding factor on "a" vs. "an" is the ease of pronunciation.

"An historical document" fairly rolls off the tongue compared to the stilted "a historical document."

Just a half penny's thought.
Steve Liversidge

June 5, 2000

Thank you for clarifying "a" and "an."

Even though I'm a university professor, and an author of many books, I've never known the convention and always relied solely on how it sounded. Lazy, I never consulted Fowler's as I should have, but have now read Fowler's with interest after your very useful commentary.

You've performed an admirable service to those of us who are supposed to be custodians of proper form, and yet too lazy to know what that proper form is.

Peter C. Emberley, Ph.D.
Professor of Political Science and Philosophy

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