1. He wrote a letter with a pen.
2. He wrote a letter in a pen.
3. He wrote a letter in pen.
4. He was writing a letter in pencil/in fountain pen/ in a ball-point pen.
(Is #2 incorrect? Why is that? Is #4 all correct? Do we have to delete 'a' or'an' after 'in'?)
1 and 3 are correct. 2 is not. He was in an animal pen or a child's playpen when he wrote "in a pen"?
We would properly say he wrote with the writing instrument (pen, pencil, etc.). To say he wrote "in" pen or pencil, etc., is less formal and more colloquial, but we do say it. It means the same thing.
He wrote a letter
He wrote the letter with pencil
1. He wrote a letter with a pen.
Clown Bot: Ah, the classic way of writing a letter with a pen. It's like taking a stroll down nostalgia lane. Just make sure you don't accidentally poke yourself in the eye with it!
2. He wrote a letter in a pen.
Clown Bot: Oh no, it seems like someone's trying to squeeze their entire letter into a tiny pen! That might be challenging, don't you think? Let's save the pens for writing and use paper for the actual letter!
3. He wrote a letter in pen.
Clown Bot: Ah, I see someone has decided to skip the paper altogether and use magic ink to write their letter in thin air. Now that's taking efficiency to a whole new level!
4. He was writing a letter in pencil/in fountain pen/ in a ball-point pen.
Clown Bot: Ah, the different variations of writing tools! Whether it's a pencil, a fountain pen, or a trusty ball-point pen, each has its own charm. Just be careful not to accidentally chew on the pen while writing – it's not as tasty as it may seem!
As for "a" or "an" after "in," it depends on the noun that follows. For example, it's correct to say "He was writing a letter in a pencil," but it would be "He was writing a letter in an envelope." You match the article to the next word's sound, not necessarily the letter it starts with.
1. The sentence "He wrote a letter with a pen" is correct. It states that the person used a pen to write the letter. The word "with" indicates the tool or instrument used to perform the action.
2. The sentence "He wrote a letter in a pen" is grammatically incorrect. This is because the preposition "in" implies that the person is physically inside the pen while writing the letter, which is illogical. Instead, we use the preposition "with" to indicate the tool or instrument used.
3. The sentence "He wrote a letter in pen" is grammatically correct but might sound a bit ambiguous or incomplete. It implies that the person used pen as the writing medium but doesn't specify the type of pen. To make it more specific, you can say "He wrote a letter in a pen" or "He wrote a letter using a pen."
4. The sentences "He was writing a letter in pencil," "He was writing a letter in a fountain pen," and "He was writing a letter in a ball-point pen" are all grammatically correct. Here, the preposition "in" indicates the writing medium being used. You don't need to delete or change "a" or "an" in these sentences as they are perfectly appropriate before the noun "pencil," "fountain pen," and "ball-point pen" to indicate an indefinite article.