a important issue

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a important issue" is not correct in written English.
It should be "an important issue" because "important" begins with a vowel sound. Example: "Climate change is an important issue that requires immediate attention."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Academia

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

They've identified this as a important issue.

Cornell University

In the days before the deaths, the negotiations were bogged down over wages, benefits and disciplinary procedures, but now Mr. Toussaint said that safety would also become a important issue, with the union demanding contractual changes that would give transit workers more input on safety procedures.

The New York Times

The life issue is a important issue for our party, and our party must not abandon our pro-life position, but we must welcome people from different persuasions into our party, or different points of view into our party.... MR. FORBES -- When you ran for governor in 1994, you criticized Ann Richards for the fact that Texas had 13,000 more state employees than did New York State.

The New York Times

A important issue with the circularization bias is that it is highly non monotonous: for example, it favors circularization lengths of 261 bp, but disfavors circularization length of 266 bp and again favors circularization lengths of 271 bp and so on and so forth (see inset in Figure 1D).

BMC Genomics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

As a result, reliability is becoming an important issue.

Journal of Modern Power Systems and Clean Energy

It does not mean that this is not an important issue – this is an important issue.

The Washington Post

"Start is an important issue.

The New York Times

"It's an important issue".

The New York Times

Cameron says this is an important issue.

The Guardian

Wall Street leverage remains an important issue.

The New York Times

This is such an important issue.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the correct indefinite article ("a" before consonant sounds and "an" before vowel sounds). For "important issue", the correct form is "an important issue".

Common error

Avoid using "a" before words that begin with a vowel sound. The common mistake is writing "a important issue"; always remember to use "an" in such cases.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a important issue" attempts to function as a noun phrase, intended to identify a significant topic or matter. However, Ludwig AI points out that it's grammatically incorrect because of the incorrect use of the indefinite article "a" before a word starting with a vowel sound.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

25%

Science

50%

Academia

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a important issue" is a grammatically incorrect attempt to denote a significant matter. As Ludwig AI explains, the correct form is "an important issue", using "an" before the vowel sound of "important". While the intention is to highlight the relevance of a topic, the incorrect grammar undermines its effectiveness. It's crucial to use the correct article to maintain clarity and credibility in writing. Alternatives such as "a significant matter" or "a crucial concern" can also be used to convey a similar meaning while avoiding grammatical errors.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

an important issue

Corrects the grammatical error by using the appropriate indefinite article "an" before a word starting with a vowel sound.

a significant matter

Replaces "issue" with "matter" and "important" with "significant", maintaining the sense of relevance.

a crucial concern

Substitutes "important" with "crucial" and "issue" with "concern", emphasizing a critical aspect.

a key consideration

Emphasizes the importance of something to be taken into account by replacing "issue" with "consideration" and "important" with "key".

a major point

Uses simpler language to indicate a significant element or aspect, replacing "issue" with "point" and "important" with "major".

a vital subject

Emphasizes the necessity and importance of a topic, replacing "issue" with "subject" and "important" with "vital".

a pressing question

Highlights the urgency and significance of a question or problem, replacing "issue" with "question" and "important" with "pressing".

a serious problem

Indicates a weighty and concerning matter, replacing "issue" with "problem" and "important" with "serious".

a noteworthy element

Draws attention to a remarkable or significant aspect, replacing "issue" with "element" and "important" with "noteworthy".

a relevant factor

Highlights the pertinence and significance of a factor, replacing "issue" with "factor" and "important" with "relevant".

FAQs

Why is "a important issue" grammatically incorrect?

The phrase "a important issue" is incorrect because the indefinite article "a" is used before words that begin with a consonant sound. Since "important" begins with a vowel sound, the correct article is "an", making the correct phrase "an important issue".

What are some alternatives to saying "a important issue"?

While "a important issue" isn't grammatically correct, you can use alternatives like "a significant issue", "a crucial issue", or simply "an important issue".

Is there a difference in meaning between "a important issue" and "an important issue"?

The phrase "a important issue" is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrasing is "an important issue". Using "an" makes the sentence grammatically sound, while "a" renders it incorrect.

How can I remember to use the correct article before nouns?

Remember that "a" is used before consonant sounds, and "an" is used before vowel sounds. If the word following the article starts with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u), use "an". For example, "an apple", "an hour", and, of course, "an important issue".