starting a sentence with but grammarly
There is nothing wrong with starting sentences with and but or other similar conjunctions. You might have been taught that its not good English to start a sentence with a conjunction such as and or butIts not grammatically incorrect to do so however and many respected writers use conjunctions at the.
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According to sources including Merriam-Webster conjunction is used to join words phrases clauses and sentences.
. I encourage them not to take my word for it but to look it up so I refer them to Ernest Gowers 1965 revision of Fowlers Dictionary of. Because of this it is perfectly proper to use but to begin a sentence. These conjunctions connect words phrases clauses or sentences of equal status.
And we think that is really cool. Contrary to what your high school English teacher told you theres no reason not to begin a sentence with but or and. But now we know that beginning with but is fine for formal legal documents gives us a tool for managing emphasis and makes a great connector.
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. Its common to use two different sentences to discuss a cause-and-effect relationship as in something making something else happen. Through the piercing screech of chalk on the blackboard you discern a command.
The supposed rule is never to start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction. But best of all I think is the simple advice given by the style book of a national newspaper. This supposed rule has no basis in actual writing and even formal writing features plenty of sentences that start with and and other conjunctions.
New Harts Rules Oxford University Press. Consider the example below. Good sentence starters to establish cause and effect.
But this is just not true. That punctuation is a courtesy designed to help readers to understand a story without stumbling. Dialogue would fall under this category.
The truth is there is no hard and fast rule against starting a sentence with butas long as the sentence is formed correctly. Yes you can begin with however or in contrast or on the other hand. There is a widespread beliefone with no historical or grammatical foundationthat it is an error to begin a sentence with a conjunction such as and but or so In fact a substantial percentage often as many as 10 percent of the sentences in first-rate writing begin with.
If you write something that needs that conversational feel you now have permission to start sentences with and or but. For a sentence starting with but you may have to read a little further all the way to Genesis 81. Never start a sentence with and or but.
As long as you can create a full and complete idea beginning a sentence with but wont result in a sentence fragment. What the style guides say Heres what two industry-recognized style guides have to say on the matter. Why It Is OK to Start a Sentence with But.
You may however encounter people who mistakenly believe that starting a sentence with a conjunction is an error so consider your audience when deciding to structure your sentences this way. By Merriam-Websters definition a conjunction joins together clauses phrases words or sentencesThis proves that it actually is okay to use but at the beginning of a sentence. Ad See what you can accomplish with the power of Grammarly at your fingertips.
Its neither right nor wrong as a whole but could be either right or wrong in a given situation. The good news is you can rest easy knowing that there is no true grammar rule that says you cant ever start a sentence with one of these conjunctions. This quote exchange from the film Finding Forrester covers it well I think.
Again let me brandish the word of caution. Remember when you want to sound more professional go with conjunctive adverbs. All modern style guides support using words like and but and or at the start of sentences.
Take the guesswork out of great writing. So yeah its perfectly fine to use and or but to launch a sentenceand you can take my word for it. Check your emails documents essays and more.
Forget your school teachers rule. Starting a sentence with a conjunction and but etc is a stylistic choice. However for most people a sentence that starts with such a conjunction still looks a little nonconformist.
Always consider the audience and tone before starting sentences with and and but. In fact these words often make a sentence more forceful and graceful. For clarity and understanding starting a sentence with yet and but or any one of the other seven conjunctions is perfectly acceptable today.
There is a commonly stated rule of grammar that beginning a sentence with and or any other conjunction is a mistake. So get rid of the grammar guilt and use this little technique but use it sparingly for effect. It is totally fine to use a coordinating conjunction to launch an independent clause a group of words with a subject and a verb that could stand alone as a sentence.
That means it should include a subject and a verb and can stand on its own. Sentence starters can make this relationship clear and show which sentence is the cause and which is the effect. Most experts think the made-up rule stemmed from an oversimplification.
Mark and Dawn Here and joins two nouns. The use of and or but for a sentence gives a conversational feel to your writing. Yellow lemons or green oranges.
As a result. Since this word is intended to connect two thoughts together its important that your sentence contains a main clause. This is because coordinating conjunctions are typically used to join like terms.
It was easier to tell children never to do something. Examples of Sentences Starting with But. Its perfectly fine to start a sentence with and or and but or any other coordinating conjunction.
Eats Shoots and Leaves Lynn Truss p. After all theres no rule against beginning a sentence with but. When Is It Okay to Start a Sentence with But.
But be sure that you understand the difference between subordinating and coordinating conjunctions and how to use them correctly. So are we going to debunk this pesky rule. I always see some shocked faces when I tell a classroom of college students that there is nothing wrong with beginning a sentence with the word and or for that matter the words but because or however.
The most common reason people give for not using and or but to start a sentence is that starting a sentence with a conjunction is thought to make the. Maya wants to go for a walk but the city is under lockdown. Its perfectly fine to begin a sentence with a conjunction such as or but and or so.
Or consult a grammar guide if you need help.
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