Usage of a/an with parenthesis within sentence

[guizot]

@Colibri

Use of an vs. a is not a grammatical issue, since the words are grammatically identical. It doesn’t matter which word the article is referring to. It is entirely a pronunciation issue. Which one to use depends on how the following word is pronounced. If it begins with a vowel sound, use an, if not, use a. That’s really the only rule that applies here.

Read my post above. My point is that in some (granted rare) situations speakers “bend” phonological rules. (When you have to transcribe hours of speech for discourse analysis you will learn this.) They do this deliberately because they wish to convey some other dimension of the discourse. And, as I said above, I’m not saying that’s necessarily what’s happening in the OP’s example, but it is possible. When people talk, they occasionally take on agency that transcends phonology.

The grammatical distinction had nothing to do with the article (a/an) itself, but the adverbial function of in hindsight as part of noun phrase.

[Colibri]

@guizot

Read my post above. My point is that in some (granted rare) situations speakers “bend” phonological rules. (When you have to transcribe hours of speech for discourse analysis you will learn this.) They do this deliberately because they wish to convey some other dimension of the discourse. And, as I said above, I’m not saying that’s necessarily what’s happening in the OP’s example, but it is possible. When people talk, they occasionally take on agency that transcends phonology.

The grammatical distinction had nothing to do with the article (a/an) itself, but the adverbial function of in hindsight as part of noun phrase.

The OP’s question is about what is correct. And since he mentions parentheses, it’s clear that he’s asking about written communication, not speech. Now speakers may as you say “bend phonological rules” but the fact that they’re bending them indicates the they’re not being strictly correct.

While it’s an interesting side discussion in the context of how people speak, it’s not really relevant as an answer to the OP’s question.

[RadicalPi]

@Colibri

Use of an vs. a is not a grammatical issue, since the words are grammatically identical.

This is not true. This is a question of morphology, which is part and parcel of grammar, at least in the linguistic sense.

[Colibri]

@RadicalPi

This is not true. This is a question of morphology, which is part and parcel of grammar, at least in the linguistic sense.

Fine. The point I was making was that in writing, it’s not an issue of which word the article is modifying or its part of speech, but merely of the pronunciation of the following word.

[panache45]

@RadicalPi

This is not true. This is a question of morphology, which is part and parcel of grammar, at least in the linguistic sense.

Then why don’t we say “an green apple”? Or would you, if it were “an (green) apple”?

[Nars_Glinley]

@watchwolf49

I think the parenthesis are wrong.

“We have the Parenthesis disease in our literature, too; and one may see cases of it every day in our books and newspapers: but with us it is the mark and sign of an unpracticed writer or a cloudy intellect…” Mark Twain, “The Awful German Language”

[guizot]

@Colibri

The OP’s question is about what is correct. And since he mentions parentheses, it’s clear that he’s asking about written communication, not speech. Now speakers may as you say “bend phonological rules” but the fact that they’re bending them indicates the they’re not being strictly correct.

While it’s an interesting side discussion in the context of how people speak, it’s not really relevant as an answer to the OP’s question.

Quite true, quite true, but since that particular aspect of the OP’s question (a vs. an in general) was quickly answered in one or two posts (as it is every frickin’ time this question comes up here), I wanted to get at the only redeeming point of discussion that remained in this thread, which is why someone would even consider writing a sentence like *John had a (in hindsight, very interesting) thought. *and I’m pretty sure it has to do with the undue influence or oral language.

[panache45]

Influence, yes. Undue, I don’t think so.

[Exapno_Mapcase]

@guizot

I wanted to get at the only redeeming point of discussion that remained in this thread, which is why someone would even consider writing a sentence like *John had a (in hindsight, very interesting) thought. *and I’m pretty sure it has to do with the undue influence or oral language.

Perhaps you are way overthinking this. I read that as the OP setting off the words so that we can judge the a/an question, not that the sentence would be written with the parentheses.

And, “undue influence or [sic] oral language”? WTF?