Can a Sentence Begin with 'And' or 'But'?
2021-01-09
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1This week on Ask a Teacher we answer a question from Yiğitcan.
2Yiğitcan asks if it is correct to begin a sentence with conjunctions such as and, but and or.
3Their grammar book, this person adds, says no.
4It is completely acceptable to begin a sentence with the words and, but, and or. Conjunction words like these join together sentences, clauses, or phrases.
5Sometimes starting a sentence with a conjunction makes your writing sound better.
6It can keep your thoughts clearly separate.
7And it can add importance to a thought, like in this example:
8Not only is Stella my sister, she also is my best friend.
9And she is a great business partner, too!
10Other times, it might be better to use a different word, such as, however.
11The word "however" sounds a bit more formal and serious than "but."
12The right word choice depends on the kind of writing you are doing.
13Let's look at another example.
14This one is from a recent Words and Their Stories article on the Learning English website.
15Listen for the two sentences that begin with a conjunction.
16"To make it on Broadway, you have to be very good.
17But you also have to be tough.
18Actors usually have many doors closed in their faces before other doors, hopefully, open.
19But even if you are hard-working and gifted, you may also need something else to succeed on Broadway - luck!
20Yiğitcan's question is not surprising.
21Many people are taught to avoid using conjunction words at the start of sentences.
22In fact, experts at Merriam-Webster.com write: "Everybody agrees that it's all right to begin a sentence with and, and nearly everybody admits to having been taught at some past time that the practice was wrong."
23And that is Ask a Teacher.
24What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com.
25I'm Anna Matteo.
1This week on Ask a Teacher we answer a question from Yiğitcan. 2Question: 3Yiğitcan asks if it is correct to begin a sentence with conjunctions such as and, but and or. Their grammar book, this person adds, says no. 4Answer: 5It is completely acceptable to begin a sentence with the words and, but, and or. Conjunction words like these join together sentences, clauses, or phrases. 6Sometimes starting a sentence with a conjunction makes your writing sound better. It can keep your thoughts clearly separate. And it can add importance to a thought, like in this example: 7Not only is Stella my sister, she also is my best friend. And she is a great business partner, too! 8Other times, it might be better to use a different word, such as, however. The word "however" sounds a bit more formal and serious than "but." The right word choice depends on the kind of writing you are doing. 9Let's look at another example. This one is from a recent Words and Their Stories article on the Learning English website. Listen for the two sentences that begin with a conjunction. 10"To make it on Broadway, you have to be very good. But you also have to be tough. Actors usually have many doors closed in their faces before other doors, hopefully, open. 11But even if you are hard-working and gifted, you may also need something else to succeed on Broadway - luck! 12Yiğitcan's question is not surprising. Many people are taught to avoid using conjunction words at the start of sentences. In fact, experts at Merriam-Webster.com write: "Everybody agrees that it's all right to begin a sentence with and, and nearly everybody admits to having been taught at some past time that the practice was wrong." 13And that is Ask a Teacher. 14What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com. 15I'm Anna Matteo. 16Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. 17Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. 18_______________________________________________________________ 19Words in This Story 20conjunction grammar noun : a word that joins together sentences, clauses, phrases, or words 21formal - adj. suitable for a proper occasion