‘ A ’ and ‘ an ’
Do not use ‘ a ’ or ‘ an ’ based on the first letter of the following word – choose it based on the initial sound . Use ‘ a ’ before all words beginning with a consonant sound , including the aspirate h :
a scholarship , a university , a hotel , a historic house , a UN meeting
Use ‘ an ’ before words beginning with a vowel sound : an heir , an honour , an hour , an SEO campaign , an RAAF aircraft
Use ‘ a ’ or ‘ an ’ before figures according to sound : a $ 5000 prize , a two-kilometre stretch
an $ 8000 prize , an 1800-kilometre flight
Contrary to popular belief , it is perfectly acceptable to begin a sentence with ‘ and ’ or ‘ an ’: This is a great way to start a sentence . And you will never look back .
‘ Affect ’ and ‘ effect ’
‘ Effect ’ is most often used as a noun : The policy changes had a positive effect .
‘ Affect ’ is most often used as a verb : The policy changes affect everyone .
Less commonly , ‘ effect ’ can also be used as a verb , meaning to bring about , accomplish , or cause to exist or happen :
The new policy will effect change .
‘ Affect ’ as a noun is a psychiatric term and would only be correct in very specific contexts .
‘ But ’ and ‘ however ’
Although we are often advised against it , it is acceptable – and even quite elegant and dramatic – to start a sentence with a conjunction like ‘ but ’:
The new course is shorter . But it contains an internship component .
You can also use ‘ however ’ instead of ‘ no matter how ’. In this instance , there is no need for commas : The internship will be enjoyable however challenging you think it will be .
‘ Can ’ and ‘ may ’
These overlap somewhat in meaning , but generally ‘ may ’ deals with possibility and uncertainty , and can refers to ‘ ability ’.
I may go out if the rain stops . Or I may stay inside .
I can go out if the rain stops . I ’ ll be less likely to slip .
‘ Could ’ and ‘ might ’ are the past tense forms of ‘ can ’ and ‘ may ’: I might have been a better bowler if I had practised harder .
He could be a good student when he wanted to be .
‘ Compare to ’ versus ‘ compare with ’
‘ Compare to ’ means to liken one thing to another , suggesting a similarity : Shall I compare thee to a summer ’ s day ?
‘ Compare with ’ means to set things side by side and examine to what extent they are similar or different :
It ’ s a lot more challenging compared with the other course .
‘ Different from ’ and ‘ different to ’
Use ‘ different from ’ or ‘ different than ’, never ‘ different to ’.
‘ But ’ ( without a comma ) is better than ‘ however ’, as it is simpler and more natural : The new course is shorter but it contains an internship component .
The new course is shorter , however , it contains an internship component .
Writing Style Guide | Commonly misused terms 51 | Back to contents