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Juneyun



Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 3
PostPosted: Tue Nov 29, 2005 4:56 pm    Post subject: a or an Reply with quote
I would like to know whether I should use a or an before the word "rsvp"?
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flaps



Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 39
PostPosted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I guess there is no article before RSVP

"The invitation said RSVP, so I replied quickly."
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ab



Joined: 16 Oct 2005
Posts: 81
Location: Sydney, Australia
PostPosted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 2:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I replied to an RSVP.
I replied to a RSVP.

It was an RSVP.
It was a RSVP.

an sounds like the better alternative
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doliver



Joined: 09 Oct 2005
Posts: 36
PostPosted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 5:55 pm    Post subject: a or an? (Juneyun) Reply with quote
Juneyun wrote:

Quote:
I would like to know whether I should use a or an before the word "rsvp."


Comments:

The four letters RSVP (which are usually capitalized and which may or may not be followed by periods) are actually an abbreviation of a French phrase, r�pondez s'il vous pla�t, which means 'Please respond' or 'Please answer.' RSVP is usually written at the end of an invitation to ask the person who has been invited to let the sender of the invitation know whether the person who has been invited will attend or not.

RSVP is normally used as a verb (and most dictionaries show only this use). If used as a verb, there is no article.

However, RSVP (or rsvp) is sometimes used as a noun (see http://www.infoplease.com/dictionary/RSVP ). When RSVP or rsvp is used as a noun, the normal rule for choosing between a and an is used: use a before a word beginning with a consonant sound and use an before a word beginning with a vowel sound. Since RSVP is said as four letters ('ar-ess-vee-pee'), the proper article would be an because when RSVP is said, the first sound is a vowel sound.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I hope this information has been useful, Juneyun.

D. Oliver
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Dennis Oliver
Estrella Mountain Community College
Avondale, AZ U.S.A.
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu
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