Modern English Usage
Publisher: Bern Porter
Published: June 1985
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
ISBN-13: 9780317199697
First sentence: a, an. 1. A is used before all consonants except silent h (a history,an hour) ; an was formerly usual before an unaccented syllable beginning with h (an historical work), but now that the h in such words is pronounced the distinction has become pedantic, &amp; a historical should be said &amp; written ; similarly an humble is now meaningless &amp; undesirable.