receive approval

[curiousmind]

HI

Last time, I wrote a simple sentence
"After receiving An approval, I will start to work"

our company's technical writer corrected me and told me to drop "An"
just "receiving approval"

why is that?

thanks!

[Tdol]

You could use an approval if you had made various applications.

[curiousmind]

so, when should I use "an approval" and when should I just use "approval"

would you please explain?

thanks!

[bhaisahab]

so, when should I use "an approval" and when should I just use "approval"

would you please explain?

thanks!

If you have made several applications, you could receive an approval for one or more of them.
If you have only made one application, you could receive approval for that application.

[curiousmind]

English is such an odd language

I would think that it is another way around,

If you have only made one application, you could receive AN approval for that application.
If you have made several applications, you could receive approval for all of them....

so strange..I need to ask grammar girl

thanks!

[5jj]

It rather depends on whether you see 'approval' as an uncountable noun denoting permission/acceptance; this could cover one or more projects. You could, however, see it as a countable noun, denoting a spoken or written form of permission/acceptance. You could have such an approval for one project, and approvals for more than one.

The first usage is, in my opinion, far more common - which is probably why your technical writer rejected the second.

[Tdol]

You only need to count the approvals when you have applied more than once. When a noun can be both uncountable and countable, why count it unnecessarily?

[euncu]

Wouldn't it be better if we use the definite article since this approval is the the only one allowing us to start working?

Thanks for your answers in advance.

[Raymott]

"After receiving approval, I will start to work." Approval in this sentence is an abstract noun, like permission. "After receiving permission, I will start to work." We would not say "a permission."

As interesting as the discussion about "an approval" or "the approval" is, I don't think it's all that relevant. The technical writer knows that it's "approval" in the abstract sense that is required - not any particular approval - and he's amended it correctly.

[BobK]

If you're very keen on using a determiner of some kind, you could say "After receiving your approval, I will start [to] work". This makes it very clear that you don't mean just anyone's say-so, but you want an auditable document or 'paper trail' of some sort - often. in business, called 'signoff'.

b.