unicycle "article"

Original post

Hell-On-Wheel

Archived post

2 April 2004, 13:13 UTC #1

No, not a story published in a magazine or newspaper, but
that little grammatical device that the Russians (and I)
find to be entirely unnecessary and superfluous. (No
offense, "The" Dan.)

Anyway, I incited a heated debate between two very
enthusiastic English students about whether the word
unicycle should take the indefinite article "a" or "an".

One said that any word that begins with a vowel, as with
unicycle, takes "an". The other said that since the "u" in
unicycle is pronounced like a consonant, it should take "a".

Personally, I'm pretty sure I've always said "a unicycle",
though I know I've seen "an unicycle" written on this forum.

In the end, I decided it was a very dorky thing to argue
about, and as such, right at home at unicyclist.com.

Thoughts?

--
hell-on-wheel - My karma ran over your dogma

On the other hand, you have different fingers. - Steven Wright
------------------------------------------------------------------------
hell-on-wheel's Profile: unicyclist.com3425
View this thread: unicyclist.com30154

Rayden

Archived post

2 April 2004, 13:13 UTC #2

I hate when a word that begins with a vowel, but sounds like
it starts with a consenant is preceded by an. I would always
say "a unicycle." But grammatically there is a rule
somewhere that I'm guessing says otherwise. BUT English
grammar is so pointless that I don't really care.

--
Rayden
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rayden's Profile: unicyclist.com264
View this thread: unicyclist.com30154

Klaas Bil

Archived post

2 April 2004, 13:13 UTC #3

hell-on-wheel said:
One said that any word that begins with a vowel, as with
unicycle, takes "an". The other said that since the "u"
in unicycle is pronounced like a consonant, it should
take "a".

AFAIK, the other is right. The 'a' or 'an' depends on
whether the /pronounciation/ of the word immediately
following it starts with a vowel or a consonant. So it is a
unicycle an honest man an 83 bus

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
--
I have a feeling you might need two points of contact with
the ground for such a thing to work? Or at least training
wheels on the front and rear. - John Foss commenting on a
picture of a one-wheeled vehicle he saw on RSU.

Harper

Archived post

2 April 2004, 13:14 UTC #4

Go with the definite article, THE unicycle. I own THE
unicycle. I went for a ride on THE unicycle. Should I ride a
bike or THE unicycle?

--
harper - Old dog, no tricks

-Greg Harper

B L U E S H I F T

"In the unlikely event of someones unicycling demise, one should say 'It
was an amazing display of unicycling skill and daring, with a rather
unfortunate outcome'. Or something to that effect. - Scott Wallis

------------------------------------------------------------------------
harper's Profile: unicyclist.com426
View this thread: unicyclist.com30154

unicycle "article"

What we know about this thread

Active in this thread

What we know about this thread

Continue through CyclingForums

Active in this thread