tailieunhanh - A lot or Alot?

A lot should be written as two words. Although a lot is used informally to mean "a large number" or "many," avoid using a lot in formal writing. Example: "The crook had many (not a lot of) chances to rob the stranger." | A lot or Alot A lot should be written as two words. Although a lot is used informally to mean a large number or many avoid using a lot in formal writing. Example The crook had many not a lot of chances to rob the stranger. A or An According to The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style The indefinite article a is used before words beginning with a consonant sound including y and w sounds. The other form an is used before words beginning with a vowel sound. Hence a European country a Ouija board a uniform an FBI agent an MBA degree an SEC filing. Writers on usage formerly disputed whether the correct article is a or an with historian historic and a few other words. The traditional rule is that if the h- is sounded a is the proper form. Most people following that rule would say a historian and a . Democrat Bill Clinton appears within reach of capturing the White House in Tuesday s election but Republicans hope that late momentum can enable President Bush to win a historic upset Dallas Morning News . Even . Fowler in the England of 1926 advocated a before historic al and humble MEU1 . The theory behind using an in such a context however is that the h- is very weak when the accent is on the second rather than the first syllable giving rise by analogy to an habitual offender an humanitarian an hallucinatory image and an harassed schoolteacher . Thus no authority countenances an history emphasis added though a few older ones prefer an historian and an historical. Today however an hypothesis and an historical are likely to strike readers and listeners as affectations. As Mark Twain once wrote referring to humble heroic and historical Correct writers of the American language do not put an before those words The Stolen White Elephant 1882 . Anyone who sounds the h- in such words should avoid pretense and use a Garner 1 . Accept or Except Accept is a verb meaning to receive or to approve. Example I accept your offer of the book. Except is a verb .