a important contribution

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a important contribution" is not correct in written English.
It should be "an important contribution" because "important" begins with a vowel sound. Example: "Her research made an important contribution to the field of environmental science."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The Polo Museale Sapienza has given a important contribution with its digital cultural heritage.

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

This is an invigorating, urgent book that makes an important contribution to a central contemporary debate.

The Guardian - Books

It makes an important contribution to a matter of great public interest".

The Guardian

Despite this fault, Chavs makes an important contribution to a revivified debate about class.

The Guardian - Books

Mr. Hedges's intelligent and touching farce makes an important contribution to a small and insignificant subgenre: Thanksgiving Day failure.

The New York Times

These studies have made an important contribution but a number of questions remain unanswered.

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Universally relevant and hard to fault, this is an important contribution to an expanding genre.

The Guardian - Books

Such an analysis would be an important contribution to contemporary understanding.

The New York Times - Arts

That's an important contribution in an arena where such talk has been sorely needed.

Huffington Post

The independent research community could make an important contribution by supporting a program of systematic evaluation.

Plosone

So simply getting researchers together in a room to compare notes is an important contribution.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "an" before words that begin with a vowel sound, such as "important". The correct phrase is "an important contribution".

Common error

Avoid using "a" before words starting with a vowel sound. It's a common mistake to say "a important", but the correct usage is "an important".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a important contribution" functions as a noun phrase, intended to denote something of considerable value or consequence. However, it is grammatically incorrect and requires correction. Ludwig AI identifies the correct form as "an important contribution".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

38%

Science

38%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

4%

Wiki

2%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a important contribution" is intended to convey the idea of something valuable or significant. However, it's grammatically incorrect due to the misuse of the article "a" before the vowel sound in "important". The correct phrase is "an important contribution". As Ludwig AI confirms, using "an" before words starting with a vowel sound is crucial for grammatical accuracy. While the phrase is used across various contexts such as news, science and business, ensuring correct grammar enhances clarity and credibility. Alternatives like "a significant contribution" or "a valuable contribution" can also be considered.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a significant contribution

Replaces "important" with "significant", emphasizing the substantial nature of the contribution.

a major contribution

Substitutes "important" with "major", highlighting the considerable scale of the contribution.

a valuable contribution

Replaces "important" with "valuable", stressing the worth or benefit of the contribution.

a noteworthy contribution

Uses "noteworthy" instead of "important", indicating that the contribution is deserving of attention.

a key contribution

Emphasizes that the contribution is essential or crucial.

an essential contribution

Uses "essential" to underscore the critical and indispensable nature of the contribution.

a substantial contribution

Replaces "important" with "substantial", focusing on the large amount or degree of the contribution.

a meaningful contribution

Highlights the significance and impact of the contribution.

a considerable contribution

Indicates that the contribution is significant in amount or degree.

a vital contribution

Highlights the crucial and necessary nature of the contribution.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "a important contribution"?

The correct way to say it is "an important contribution". Use "an" before words that begin with a vowel sound.

What can I say instead of "a important contribution"?

You can use alternatives like "a significant contribution", "a major contribution", or "a valuable contribution".

Why is "a important contribution" grammatically incorrect?

The phrase "a important contribution" is incorrect because the word "important" begins with a vowel sound. The article "an" should be used instead of "a" before vowel sounds.

What's the difference between "a important contribution" and "an important contribution"?

"A important contribution" is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrase is "an important contribution". The article "an" is used before vowel sounds, while "a" is used before consonant sounds.