An "I do believe"

[birdeen's call]

In another thread, I said, '...but I did furnish it [my statement] with an "I do believe".'

The "an" in this sentence bothers me. I think it's technically correct, but it doesn't sound like it is. I think it might be the fact that I'm using "an" before a pause that makes the construction sound strange.

Does it sound strange to you? And if so, am I right about the reason?

 

[emsr2d2]

It's fine. It would be equally fine without it. For info, when I read your sentence aloud, I don't pause after "an" and before "I do believe". If I said it to another native speaker, I think it would be pretty clear what I meant although I might use "air quotes".

 

[White Hat]

Thank God, you're Polish! Now I'm totally convinced placing "a" in front of "furniture" is a stretch! No hard feelings, buddy! Just kidding!

 

[birdeen's call]

Thanks. For some reason it didn't work for me with "an", but I felt it did work perfectly well with "a". (For quotes starting with consonants that is.)

Without a pause it sounds fine to me though. I just felt I needed a pause to introduce the quote because of the number of words in it.

 

[emsr2d2]

Thanks. For some reason it didn't work for me with "an", but I felt it did work perfectly well with "a". (For quotes starting with consonants that is.)

Without a pause it sounds fine to me though. I just felt I needed a pause to introduce the quote because of the number of words in it.

It doesn't work at all with "a" (for me). Regardless of how much of a gap there is between the words, the "a/an" rule still applies!

 

[birdeen's call]

It doesn't work at all with "a" (for me). Regardless of how much of a gap there is between the words, the "a/an" rule still applies!

Oh, of course "a" doesn't work with this quotation. I meant that I didn't have this problem when I thought of quotations starting with consonants.

 

[birdeen's call]

Thank God, you're Polish! Now I'm totally convinced placing "a" in front of "furniture" is a stretch! No hard feelings, buddy! Just kidding!

I must say I've scratched my head for a couple of minutes over this, but I haven't scratched out an interpretation. No hard feelings -- sure. I just genuinely don't understand what you mean.

 

[White Hat]

I mean that only a Polish or a Russian will put "a" in front of "furniture". If that somehow makes you upset, then NO HARD FEELINGS! Capisce?

 

[birdeen's call]

I mean that only a Polish or a Russian will put "a" in front of "furniture". If that somehow makes you upset, then NO HARD FEELINGS! Capisce?

Thank you for explaining that. As I said, no hard feelings on my part. It didn't upset me; I just couldn't understand what you meant.

Just to make sure everything is clear: that sentence was written by a native speaker.

 

[emsr2d2]

I mean that only a Polish or a Russian will put "a" in front of "furniture". If that somehow makes you upset, then NO HARD FEELINGS! Capisce?

I'm not sure that you've entirely got the hang of using "No hard feelings". It's usually said after something has happened which you know made another person angry or upset or which made you angry or upset. It's almost a hopeful question! We don't generally use it in advance to indicate that we want the person not to be upset or offended by what we just said or what we're about to say.

 

[White Hat]

I'm not sure that you've entirely got the hang of using "No hard feelings". It's usually said after something has happened which you know made another person angry or upset or which made you angry or upset. It's almost a hopeful question! We don't generally use it in advance to indicate that we want the person not to be upset or offended by what we just said or what we're about to say.

I'm afraid you're missing the point here, emsr2d2. The reason I used "No hard feelings" in that one was because what I said must've hurt the OP in a way, and I'm sure it did. I know it wasn't the smartest post on my part, nor was it the best usage of that phrase. Technically, the phrase could be used in advance too.

Here is an example:

We set the price, and if you can't see your way clear to take it there are no hard feelings.
(Dust by Haldeman)

 

[White Hat]

In our case:

It takes a Polish or a Russian to place an indefinite article in front of the uncountable noun "furniture". If this statement seems offensive to you, then I'm sorry and I hope there are no hard feelings.