About the misspellings and grammar mistakes:  One I've found very common not only in this boards but everywhere is the use of a and an, if I recall correctly my English lessons :D you use a before words starting in a non-vowel SOUND, and you use an before words starting with a vowel SOUND, for example:  an apple a pineapple  Not only I've seen mistakes like these, but they have raised questions/confusion... are there exceptions? for example in sentence like these:  an USA-grown apple - my guess a USA-grown apple   a USA-grown pineapple an USA-grown pineapple - my guess  Which ones are correct? In those sentences the rule is applied to the immediate next word (USA) or to the word (noun) that the article (a/an) it's actually referring to (apple/pineapple)??  other examples could be:  a/an OPEC alliance  a/an OPEC cease-fire - my guess: both with an  a/an Irish gnome a/an Irish joke - my guess: both with an  a/an NATO alliance - my guess: a  a/an anti[-racist] - my guess: an  :confused: an history lesson vs. a history lesson. Actually in this case I think it's a history lesson if the rule applies to lesson it's a and if it applies to history is still a because it must begin with a vowel SOUND, h is not a vowel SOUND in English.    In many other languages the h would be mute, though.    Anyway, no one has answered the question... does the a/an rule applies to the immediate word following said article or only to the noun which the article makes reference?? :confused: