When do I use an article after 'kind of' and when do I omit it?
"kind of a guy"
"kind of guy"
"kind of a guy"
"kind of guy"
kind of
When do I use an article after 'kind of' and when do I omit it?
"kind of a guy"
"kind of guy"
You omit it when you are already using it before the "kind of", as in "he's a _____ kind of guy." You go ahead and include it when your intro lacks the "a", as in "What kind of a guy is he?" In other words, you can always have an "a" in there somewhere, but don't go overboard and use two of them.
There are also cases where no "a" is needed at all, as in "What kind of guy would go on and on about peanut butter for no real reason?"
Digging deeper, where you use the "a" depends on which sense of "kind of" you are using. If you are using "kind of' to mean "type of", the "a" belongs to kind and is used right before it -- a basset hound is a kind of dog, an apple is a kind of fruit, a troll is a kind of sad little teenage loser who can't get laid and has to assuage his frustrations on processed sandwich spread.
If you are using "kind of" as a waffling modifier meaning "almost like" or "more or less", the "a" goes after it, as it properly belongs to the object being modified -- that's kind of a stupid thing to keep cutting and pasting on every thread, or that's kind of a lame attempt at audience participation; I kind of think there's probably a jar of Jiff who needs your attention more. Try the chunky kind for variety and added sensation -- it'll kind of be like dating someone new.
"kind of a guy"
"kind of guy"
You omit it when you are already using it before the "kind of", as in "he's a _____ kind of guy." You go ahead and include it when your intro lacks the "a", as in "What kind of a guy is he?" In other words, you can always have an "a" in there somewhere, but don't go overboard and use two of them.
There are also cases where no "a" is needed at all, as in "What kind of guy would go on and on about peanut butter for no real reason?"
Digging deeper, where you use the "a" depends on which sense of "kind of" you are using. If you are using "kind of' to mean "type of", the "a" belongs to kind and is used right before it -- a basset hound is a kind of dog, an apple is a kind of fruit, a troll is a kind of sad little teenage loser who can't get laid and has to assuage his frustrations on processed sandwich spread.
If you are using "kind of" as a waffling modifier meaning "almost like" or "more or less", the "a" goes after it, as it properly belongs to the object being modified -- that's kind of a stupid thing to keep cutting and pasting on every thread, or that's kind of a lame attempt at audience participation; I kind of think there's probably a jar of Jiff who needs your attention more. Try the chunky kind for variety and added sensation -- it'll kind of be like dating someone new.