can you start a sentence with and or but
Whatever the current trend may be starting a sentence with and but or or is not acceptable in formal writing. However as long as you arent writing something that is incredibly formal it is perfectly acceptable to start sentences with but or any other conjunction like it.
Or is another common one It is worth noting however that starting a sentence with a coordinating conjunction still looks nonconformist to many people so you are advised to reserve this practice for impact.
. But some do not agree with this. When it comes to using it in a business setting that is a question of style rather than grammar. The short answer is yes.
This means that yes you can start a sentence with and or but if you take into account the function of the word and the message that you intend to convey by using it. No its not like that. Does this violate the rules of grammar.
Despite what you may have been told at school you can start a sentence with and or but And and but are known as coordinating conjunction. Conjunction words like these join together sentences clauses or. I dont know the origin of the prohibition against starting sentences with and.
The supposed rule is never to start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction. Answer 1 of 47. For example Because she needed eggs she went to the grocery store is a grammatically correct sentence.
The reason its taught in school is because if a non-master of the English language starts a sentence with and or because theyre in danger of producing a fragment. Its perfectly acceptable to begin a sentence with and as well as doing so with words such as but or or. Doing so can enrich narration and dialogue and inflect the prose with voice mood and intention.
You might have heard that you cant start a sentence with but or and But both can be used at the beginning of a sentence you just need to know how to do it. But maybe you really feel like one should go. As longtime readers have no doubt picked up Ive got sort of a distinctive writing style for legal writing.
You can start sentences with and. You should never start a sentence with the words and or butnever. Yes You Can Start a Sentence with And or But.
Its something that still causes heated debate. I suspect that it has to do with guidance given to younger writers who may tend to write in fragments eg. Sentences may also start with other one-syllable conjunctions for nor but or yet so.
The key is to make sure those conjunctions are being used purpose. But this answer comes with a warning. But you need to make sure that the following sentence is not a fragment.
Try Grammar Coach. I remember having the dont start a sentence with and or but conversation with English teachers more than 20 years ago. If that was drilled into your head at some point during your elementary school English lessons then youre not alone.
The thinking behind this was I believe that and and but are co-ordinating conjunctions words whose job it is to join two or more parts of a sentence together. By Jay OKeeffe on July 12 2016. Read on to learn more.
So its better to employ coordinating conjunction as sentence starters reservedly. There is nothing grammatically wrong with starting a sentence with a conjunction like but and or or. But some grammarians decided that it wasnt logical the argument that Pawel Janiak gives and.
Well Im here to tell you that you can start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction whether and but or the others. Never begin a sentence with a conjunction of any kind especially one of the FANBOYS for and nor but or yet so. As long as you can create a full and complete idea beginning a sentence with but wont result in a.
The rule that prohibits starting a sentence with a union is considered not a formal rule at all it may. It is completely acceptable to begin a sentence with the words and but and or. My teacher said you are allowed to start a sentence with and.
Using and at the beginning of a sentence has been a practice for over a thousand years. Yes you absolutely can start a sentence with but. Most of us were taught this rule in schooland we followed it with every writing assessment research paper and book report we ever wrote.
But this is just not true. There is a commonly stated rule of grammar that beginning a sentence with and or any other conjunction is a mistake. However there is nothing wrong with starting a sentence with because if you follow it with an independent clause.
Furthermore I believe it should be avoided because it makes your writing sound choppy unintellegent and lazy. FANBOYS might not get you far. And so can I.
Jim on October 17 2011 904 pm. You should not go crazy tossing commas after these conjunctions when you use them at the start of the sentence. Starting a sentence with a conjunction has always been perfectly usual in English and youll find it throughout the great writers of the past.
However a conjunction can be used to begin a sentence in a dependent clause if it is connected to an independent clause. But at least the professor is in good company. It is perfectly okay to start a sentence with And or But in fiction writing.
This supposed rule has no basis in actual writing and even formal writing features plenty of sentences that start with and and other conjunctions. I believe though that starting a sentence with these words still looks and feels awkward and tingly for some people. Many people were taught at school that you shouldnt begin a sentence with either of these two words.
This same fussbudget by the way outlaws the splitting of infinitives another durable grammar myth. It didnt make sense then and it doesnt make sense now. Because I was hungry.
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