There are no rules in English that teach us whether we can or can’t start sentences with particular words. Take “before” as an example. We can start a sentence with it for a few reasons, and this article will explore how to do it effectively.
You can start a sentence with “before” when using it as a conjunction to connect two clauses, as a preposition to talk about something that happened in front of you, or as an adverb. It’s common to use all three of these forms in writing.
To help you understand more about what each form means, you can refer to the following:
- Conjunction: Before seeing my father again, I had to get him a gift.
- Preposition: Before my eyes, there appeared a man with no name.
- Adverb: Before, I found it difficult to believe in any of this nonsense!
All of these forms are correct when starting a sentence with “before.”
What Does “Before” Mean At The Beginning Of A Sentence?
It might help to go over a little bit more with each meaning. That way, you’ll have a better understanding of what “before” means.
“Before” means that something happens before another thing when used as a conjunction. As a preposition, it means that something happened in front of someone. As an adverb, it refers to something that wasn’t the case once but is the case now.
We can use “before” with these three common definitions. Each variation comes with slightly different grammatical rules that we need to understand and follow.
Examples Of How To Use “Before” At The Beginning Of A Sentence
To help you understand the rules we can use, we’ll split this part into sections. Since each form uses different rules, you might want to pay attention to how the grammar works in each case.
Conjunction
- Before I could go to bed, I had to check my closet for monsters.
- Before naming me godfather, they had a long conversation with me about my life goals.
- Before there were people, there were dinosaurs.
“Before” as a conjunction works to introduce something that happened prior to another event.
When using “before” in this way, we set up a dependent clause. When starting a sentence with a dependent clause, we need to make sure to include the comma at the end of the clause.
It’s also possible to switch the positions of the clauses:
- Before I could tell her, I had to ask permission.
- I had to ask permission before I could tell her.
Preposition
- Before me, there was a man who nobody knew.
- Before my eyes, he started to do something I never thought I’d see!
- Before I stood my superior.
“Before” as a preposition usually means that something happened in front of someone.
Usually, we include a comma after the prepositional phrase has ended to indicate the start of a new clause. However, we don’t use commas when the following word is a verb (like in example 3).
Adverb
- Before, I wasn’t too happy with the treatment of my people.
- Before, there was much to do.
- Before, I never knew how much I cared for school.
“Before” as an adverb works to introduce an argument or idea that didn’t exist at one point in the past. Usually, someone has come up with this idea recently.
With the adverb form, we always place a comma directly after “before.” There are no exceptions to this rule when starting a sentence with “before.”
Where Should I Place The Comma When Using “Before” At The Beginning Of A Sentence?
The previous section covered a lot of the punctuation rules you need to worry about when starting a sentence with “before.” However, to reiterate and help you understand how to punctuate it, we’ll go over it once more.
You should place a comma after the dependent clause when using “before” as a conjunction. You should place a comma after the prepositional phrase when using “before” as a preposition. You should place a comma directly after “before” when used as an adverb.
The rules vary based on the style we use, but if you look at the following, you might have more of an understanding.
- Correct: Before he could leave, I made him sign the contract.
- Incorrect: Before he could leave I made him sign the contract.
- Correct: Before my eyes, there appeared a man with no face!
- Incorrect: Before my eyes there appeared a man with no face!
- Correct: Before, I didn’t know how to care for her.
- Incorrect: Before I didn’t know how to care for her.
Alternatives To Starting A Sentence With “Before”
Some synonyms might help you to understand “before” a little better. Take your pick from these, as they all start sentences in similar ways.
- Prior to
- Previously
- In front of
- Ahead of
Can You End A Sentence With “Before”?
When using “before” as an adverb, we don’t just have to place it at the beginning of a sentence.
You can end a sentence with “before” as an adverb. We do this by taking the adverb and placing it at the end of the sentence to show that something was once believed but is no longer the case now.
It works the same as starting a sentence with “before” as an adverb; we simply place it at the end instead:
- Before, I didn’t know how to handle myself.
- I didn’t know how to handle myself before.
How Do You Use “Before” In The Middle Of A Sentence?
You can also place “before” in the middle of a sentence in most cases.
“Before” works in the middle of a sentence when talking about something that happened “before” another thing. It almost always refers to the chronological order of two or more events.
- The solar eclipse happened long before any of us knew what it was.
- She got here before you.
- I am standing before you and pleading for my life!
The comma rules are left out when placing “before” in the middle of a sentence. We do not need commas on either side of the word, and there are no dependent clauses set up with it that we need to worry about either.
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
Can u start a sentence with before?
We commonly use before with the past simple tense. It suggests that the second event happened soon after the first one. The before clause, which indicates the second action, can be at the end or at the beginning of the sentence: Before she left, she gave everyone a present.
What is a sentence with the word before?
Examples of before in a Sentence He left just before sunrise. I’ve never seen her so happy before now. Call me before your arrival. She arrived the day before yesterday.
How do you use the word when in a sentence?
[M] [T] I had almost finished my work when she came. [M] [T] I’m going to talk to Tom when he comes home. [M] [T] When a child, I used to go fishing with him. [M] [T] He was robbed when coming home late at night.
How do you use the word since in a sentence?
Since sentence example
- Since you arrived, she is not sure this is the way.
- “It’s a long time since we met,” he said.
- He’d been in a grumpy mood since he got up.
- Since then he had treated her with total respect.
- I haven’t even seen him since the funeral.
What can I say instead of since then?
What is another word for since then?
| after | later |
|---|---|
| afterward | subsequently |
| ever since | next |
| thenceforth | ensuing |
| following this | consequently |
Is since a contrast word?
Although/though can be used to contrast ideas. Although/though are subordinating conjunctions used to connect a subordinate clause to a main clause, like after, as, before, if, since, that, even though, even if.
Is since used as Because?
Since is used as a causal conjunction (and has been since the 16th century) in the same way that because is used: Since you ate the ice cream last night, we don’t have any dessert tonight.
Where is since used?
In English, we use since to refer to a point of time. Since can refer to a point after a specific time or event in the past. Or it can refer to a particular point beginning sometime in the past and continuing until the present time.
What is since and for in grammar?
for + period: a “period” is a duration of time – five minutes, two weeks, six years. For means “from the beginning of the period to the end of the period”. since + point: a “point” is a precise moment in time – 9 o’clock, 1st January, Monday. Since means “from a point in the past until now”.
Can you end a sentence with since?
Meaning: Since is an adverb, preposition and conjunction, Yes, we can end a sentence with it provided we use it as an adverb and not as a conjunction or a preposition.
What type of part of speech is since?
Since can be an adverb, a preposition or a conjunction.
Which tense is used with since?
Since is used in a variety of different ways, both with the present perfect and with other tenses. When it is used as a preposition to introduce a date or a specific time in the past, it is normally used with present perfect and past perfect tenses.
How do you use to and for in a sentence?
So, how do you know when to use “to” and when to use “for”? It might seem complicated, but the answer is actually very simple. Use “to” when the reason or purpose is a verb. Use “for” when the reason or purpose is a noun.
What is the difference between to and from?
It can be explained in terms of destinations that “from” is the starting point and the “to” is the ending point. These can be used in different ways according to circumstances.
What is the difference between for and because?
“Because” is a subordinating conjunction, which introduces a subordinate or dependent clause functioning adverbially to indicate a reason for the action of the main clause. “For” is a coordinating conjunction that connects two coordinate or independent clauses where the second clause indicates a reason for the first.
Why do we use &?
In film credits for stories, screenplays, etc., & indicates a closer collaboration than and. The Writers Guild of America uses & to denote two writers collaborating on a specific script. Inside tables or parentheses when space is limited.
Can I say for instead of because?
You could just as easily use the word “because” instead of “for.” No grammarian would gripe about either sentence. When you do use “for” in the middle of a sentence in that manner, one authority (2) suggests you use punctuation—in our example sentence a comma—before your “for.”
Can as be used as Because?
As is used to mean because, but it is also used when two events happen at the same time. In “I must stop now as I have to go out.” it means because, but in “She watched him as the train passed close to his house.” it doesn’t mean because. As for the sentences you used as examples, both are correct.
Is as better than because?
As: As is a direct synonym for because (for example, “He opted not to go see the movie, as it had gotten poor reviews”), but it’s inferior. 2. As a result of: This phrase is a substitute for “because of,” not because, as in “As a result of his intervention, the case was reopened and they were ultimately exonerated.”
How do you say because in a formal way?
Inasmuch as – This one is a rather formal equivalent of “because” and “because of” expressions.
Should you use as or because?
As and since are more formal than because. We usually put a comma before since after the main clause: [result]I hope they’ve decided to come as [reason]I wanted to hear about their India trip. We often use as and since clauses at the beginning of the sentence.
Can a sentence start with as?
As is an adverbial conjunction and can certainly be used at the beginning of a sentence.
Continue Learning about English Language Arts
Can you start a sentence with the word otherwise?
Yes, you can start a sentence with the word «otherwise.» It is a
prepositional phrase, and like other prepositional phrases, it can
be used to start a sentence.
Can you start a sentence with the word hopefully?
Yes you can; example:
Hopefully, my refund check will come before the rent is due.
Can you start a sentence with ‘No’?
No, you cannot start a sentence with «no» unless you need to do
so. No reason exists not to start a sentence with that word, as you
can see. No one will care if you do start a sentence with it.
How do you start a sentence?
You start a sentence with a capital letter . The first word in a
sentence is always a noun or an article.
When is it proper grammar to use the word me at the beginning of a sentence?
It is not proper to start a sentence out with the word me.
Before is a preposition, an adverb and a conjunction. Before means earlier than the time or event mentioned:
Can you call me back before 5 pm, please?
I met her just before she left.
Warning:
In writing, when we refer back to something that we have already written, we use above not before:
As the graph above shows, the rate of inflation has risen by 15%.
Before as a preposition
We use before most commonly with noun phrases to refer to timed events:
I like to go for a run before breakfast.
You can check in online but you have to do it at least four hours before your flight.
We use before to refer to place, especially when it is seen as part of a journey or as part of a sequence of events in time:
Get off the bus just before Euston Station.
Just before the end of the poem, there is a line where the poet expresses his deepest fears.
Before, by, till, until
If you have to do something before a certain point in time, then when that point arrives, the action must already be completed:
I need to have the letter before Friday. (Friday is too late. I need it in advance of Friday.)
If you have to do something by a certain point in time, then that time is the last moment at which the action can be completed:
Can we finish this meeting by 5 pm. I have to get to the station by 5.30 pm. (5 pm is the latest that I want the meeting to finish and 5.30 pm is the latest that I can arrive at the station.)
If something is done or happens till or until a point in time, it happens over a duration of time, starting before that time and continuing up to that point:
[out-of-office auto-reply message on an email]
I’ll be out of the office until 17th May. I will reply to your email after that date. (I will be back on 17 May, but not before.)
Compare
|
I’ll be there up to five o’clock, but not after. |
|
I may call you before five o’clock but I will call you no later than five o’clock. |
|
I’ll be there earlier than dinner time. |
Before as an adverb
Before often comes after nouns such as day, morning, night, week, month, year to refer to the previous day, morning, etc.:
Two people were ill at work yesterday and three people the day before!
A:
Did you graduate in 1989?
B:
No, actually, I finished college the year before.
Warning:
When we refer to a period of time that is completed and goes from a point in the past up to now, we use ago, not before:
A:
When was your birthday?
B:
It was three weeks ago.
Before as an adjunct
We use before to connect earlier events to the moment of speaking or to a point of time in the past:
I’m so looking forward to the trip. I haven’t been to Latin America before. (up to the moment of speaking)
I introduced Tom to Olivia last night. They hadn’t met before. (up to that point in the past)
Before as a conjunction
We use before as a subordinating conjunction. We commonly use before with the past simple tense. It suggests that the second event happened soon after the first one. The before clause, which indicates the second action, can be at the end or at the beginning of the sentence:
Before she left, she gave everyone a present.
She gave everyone a present before she left.
Before with present tenses
When we use before in clauses in the present tense, the clause can refer to the future:
Before I go to work, I jog for at least an hour.
Not: Before I will go to work …
Before with past tenses
We sometimes use before clauses in a variety of tenses to say that the action or event in the before clause did not or may not happen:
Before I had a chance to thank him, he’d gone.
You’re interrupting her before she has even spoken.
Before he had finished his training, he was sacked.
We should stop shopping now before we spend all our money.
Before with —ing
A non-finite clause with before + ing-form is more formal:
Before bringing the milk to the boil, add the egg. (more formal than Before you bring …)
Just before, immediately before
We can use adverbs such as just, immediately, shortly and long, and expressions involving words such as days, weeks, months, years in front of before:
We got home just before it rained.
The deadline for the essay was 5 pm. I got mine in shortly before five o’clock but Lily had hers in days before the deadline.
Beforehand
We can use beforehand as an alternative to before as an adverb, especially when the reference to time is less specific.
Spoken English:
Beforehand is more common in informal speaking than in writing:
I love singing but I always get so nervous beforehand.
In front of beforehand, we can put adverbs such as immediately, just and shortly, and other time expressions such as days, weeks, months, years:
Months beforehand, Dominic had bought five tickets for the concert.
Other uses of before
Before meaning ‘in front of’
We use before meaning ‘in front of’ in more formal contexts:
Brian was twenty years old. He had his whole life before him.
The Prime Minister went before the people to tell them that he was going to resign.
Before long meaning ‘after a short time’
Especially in writing, we use before long to mean ‘after a short time’:
They’ll marry before long, and then you’ll have more grandsons than you can count.
Before: typical errors
-
We use above not before when we refer back to something we have already written:
As stated above, there are four key findings from the study.
Not: As stated before, there are …
-
When we refer to a period of time that is completed and which goes from a point in the past up to now, we use ago, not before:
A:
When did you first meet?
B:
Ten years ago when we were in college.
Not: Ten years before when …
Can you start a sentence with but? English teachers love to tell us it’s against the rules. But there is nothing wrong with starting a sentence with but.
As you grow as a writer, you learn that many of the rules you were taught in school aren’t really rules at all. Can you start a sentence with but? Your third-grade teacher probably told you this was absolutely verboten. However, this is an example of a common rule that is misleading. There is nothing wrong with starting a sentence with but or any other coordinating conjunction. In fact, authorities as lofty as The Elements of Style, The Chicago Style Manual, and William Shakespeare all begin sentences with the word “but.” In the case of the former two examples for analyzing a sentence, they also overtly say that it is permissible.
Contents
- Why It Is OK to Start a Sentence with But?
- What Are Coordinating Conjunctions?
- What Are Independent Clauses?
- How Do You Avoid Sentence Fragments?
- Can But Go at the Beginning of a Sentence in Good Writing?
- Is It OK in Business Writing?
- Where Did the Rule Against Starting a Sentence with But Come From?
- The Final Word on Can You Start a Sentence with But
- FAQ About Starting a Sentence with But
- Author
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | |
|---|---|---|
|
Best Sentence Checker
|
Grammarly
|
Claim My Discount → |
|
Best Alternative
|
ProWritingAid
|
Claim My Discount → |
Why It Is OK to Start a Sentence with But?
“But” is conjunction. According to sources including Merriam-Webster, conjunction is used to join words, phrases, clauses, and sentences. Because of this, it is perfectly proper to use “but” to begin a sentence that continues an idea expressed in the previous one.
What Are Coordinating Conjunctions?
We use coordinating conjunctions to connect words and phrases together. The seven coordinating conjunctions in the English language are:
- And
- But
- For
- Nor
- Or
- So
- Yet
It is perfectly allowable to start a sentence with any of these, as long as you are connecting two independent clauses.
What Are Independent Clauses?
An independent clause is one that forms a complete sentence on its own. Examples of independent clauses that are joined by coordinating conjunctions include:
- I got to the station early. But I still missed my train.
- She won’t eat at Italian restaurants. Nor will she try sushi.
- We could go to Paris. Or we could take a flight to Madrid.
How Do You Avoid Sentence Fragments?
As long as the sentence you started with “but” includes both a noun and a verb, the chances that you’ve created a fragment are very low. A sentence fragment lacks one or the other (usually the verb). As long as the first phrase ends in a full stop and the second phrase uses “but” in a logical way, you can’t go wrong.
Examples include:
- I got the promotion. But I still won’t make as much as I need.
- He arrived with seven bags of groceries. But he still forgot the bread.
There are few logical statements in sentences of those forms that would take the form of fragments. If you were to write “He arrived with seven bags of groceries. But the bread.” the reader would be excused for wondering “but the bread what?”
Can But Go at the Beginning of a Sentence in Good Writing?
Yes, absolutely. Good writing, in fact, is made up of sentences that vary in length and word use. Bad writing often suffers from an excess of uniformity rather than a sprinkling of grammar that, although correct, would not be accepted in a beginning language class.
Is It OK in Business Writing?
It’s accepted that business writing is more formal than some other forms. Because of this, there is a reluctance to use grammar that might be seen as overly casual.
However, in actual practice, the choice comes down to the setting and the tone. If other people in your company seem to hew to more stiff and formal language, it might be good to do so, as well. But if they tend to write with less formality, you are free to do so, too.
Where Did the Rule Against Starting a Sentence with But Come From?
According to linguist David Crystal, the rule started with schoolteachers in the 19th century. Many noticed young students habitually starting sentences with conjunctions and attempted to stop this in the interest of creating themes and essays with standalone, independent thoughts and clauses.
But instead of encouraging students to limit the use of these sentence starters, over time, they fell into a habit of banning the words altogether. Because of this, generations of children were taught never to start a sentence with conjunction when no such English grammar rule exists.
The Final Word on Can You Start a Sentence with But
Yes, you absolutely can start a sentence with but. But you need to make sure that the following sentence is not a fragment.
When it comes to using it in a business setting, that is a question of style rather than grammar. Follow the lead of the people in your office and your industry. And if there’s a style guide, that’s even better.
FAQ About Starting a Sentence with But
When can you start a sentence with but?
Any time you are joining a sentence with the one that proceeds it.
Are there times it’s wrong to start a sentence with but?
It’s wrong if your sentence is not a complete sentence. If it is a dependent clause, you should use a piece of punctuation other than a period.
Is it OK to use but at the start of a sentence according to AP Style or Chicago Manual of Style?
Both allow you to use but at the beginning of a sentence.
Join over 15,000 writers today
Get a FREE book of writing prompts and learn how to make more money from your writing.