Proper Grammar Question

[DownFanatic]

Just looking clarification here.

Which of the following is correct: 'an outstanding contribution to' or 'a outstanding contribution to.'

Is it just me or if a word has two vowels together, namely 'o' and 'u', does the 'an' before the word become an 'a?'

[haranguerer]

Its just you

[heganboy]

"an outstanding contribution"

[DownFanatic]

Its just you

Seems to be 

[balladmaker]

You won't have any reason to be using that phrase in relation to Down this year

[Tubberman]

Definitely just you

Do they say 'an hotel' in the UK, seeing as they don't really pronounce the 'h'?

[DownFanatic]

You won't have any reason to be using that phrase in relation to Down this year

Stranger things have happened.

[Gold]

"an outstanding contribution by young Laverty to the Down win"

"an outstanding display of low pain threshold by young Laverty"

[armaghniac]

In the context of upcoming sport you'll hear a lot of "The Ukraine", this is simply because people were accustomed to saying "The" UK. It should just be Ukraine, like Poland.

[ONeill]

Prods say an hotel cos they're taught that in their halls of learning.

[lawnseed]

would you say "allowed go" or "allowed to go" "hes wasnt allowed to go" sounds nordie. whereas "he wasnt allowed go" is what they tend to say on rte. which is correct?

[heganboy]

"allowed to go" is correct

from oxford dictionaries:

[with object and infinitive] give (someone) permission to do something:
the dissident was allowed to leave the country

[Tony Baloney]

Can't say I'm a fan of the Yank usage of 'erb for herb.

[Eamonnca1]

Can't say I'm a fan of the Yank usage of 'erb for herb.

They spell it "urb". Drives me insane.

Speaking of yankified words that I hate, "normalcy" instead of "normality", "efficacy" instead of "effectiveness", "systemic" instead of "systematic".

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Can't say I'm a fan of the Yank usage of 'erb for herb.

They spell it "urb". Drives me insane.

Speaking of yankified words that I hate, "normalcy" instead of "normality", "efficacy" instead of "effectiveness", "systemic"  instead of "systematic".

Those two words have different meanings: the former denotes relating to the 'system' itself, i.e., there's a systemic malaise that afflicts the body politic, whereas the latter denotes a methodical approach, for example.