Quote:

the man is an capitalist first and a friend second.



"A" Versus "An"
This last topic is undoubtedly the easiest, because most non-native speakers already know about the difference between a and an. They are simply two variations of the indefinite article. A is used before words that begin with consonant sounds (a rock, a large park) and an is used before vowel sounds (an interesting subject, an apple).
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Waist not, want not...