Using gerunds at the start of a sentence like “being” is something we can do without issue. Some people believe that gerunds are among those words that cannot start a sentence, but these people are wrong, and this article will explain how to use it.
You can start a sentence with “being” when you want to talk about who or what somebody “is.” “Being” is a gerund verb form, which we recognize with the “-ing” suffix. It talks about what people or things “are” in the world and how they impact stuff.
Unlike some other words we might start a sentence with, there aren’t many glaringly obvious grammar rules we need to watch out for. Using “being” or similar words at the start of a sentence is a great way for people to explore certain constructs without many punctuation issues.
What Does “Being” Mean At The Beginning Of A Sentence?
So, how does “being” help us at the beginning of a sentence? To understand that, you can refer to the following:
- Being that you know so much about this, why don’t you tell me more?
- Being a lawyer isn’t so bad when you think about how much money you can get from it.
These are just two examples of how “being” can start a sentence. Each one uses a different construct.
“Being” means that someone or something “is” a particular thing for a reason. We mostly use it to identify certain objects or traits, and we then establish what is good (or bad) about “being” those things.
Examples Of How To Use “Being” At The Beginning Of A Sentence
To break it down even further, we’ll dedicate this section strictly to the best examples we can come up with. Once you’ve read through this, you’ll hopefully be better equipped to start a sentence with “being.”
- Being an only child comes with its benefits.
- Being someone on the outside of this friendship has never been easy for me.
- Being that you think you’re better than me, why don’t you try and figure out this conundrum?
- Being able to figure out what was wrong with him was harder than knowing him in the first place!
- Being smarter than you isn’t something that I want to brag about, but I can’t help it.
- Being an intellectual is hard work when everyone judges you for your tastes.
- Being that I’m older than you, maybe I should try and do this instead.
“Being” works at the start of a sentence to talk about someone’s state of “being.” We use this to talk about who or what they “are” in the grand scheme of things (i.e., to reference a profession, a character trait, or an event of some kind).
Where Should I Place The Comma When Using “Being” At The Beginning Of A Sentence?
There are a few punctuation rules that we should understand before being completely comfortable starting a sentence with “being.” There are two main rules that we need to follow.
If you use “being” to talk about someone’s state of “being” in a sentence, we typically do not need a comma because it’s part of an independent clause. If using it with a phrase like “being that,” we’re creating a dependent clause, so a comma is required at the end of the clause.
Learning to punctuate “being” can be tricky. The two forms look like this:
- Being aware of the people around you helps you to be empathetic.
The first form simply talks about a state of “being,” which requires no commas because it’s an independent clause.
- Being that you are here earlier than expected, I guess we can start the party.
“Being that” creates a dependent clause, so a comma must come at the end of the clause (i.e., after “expected” in the above example).
Can You Start A Sentence With “Being That”?
Let’s touch more on the comma and the dependent clause of “being that.”
You can start a sentence with “being that” when you want to show that someone “is” something more compared with somebody else. We can use it to compare any two people, though we often use it to compare ourselves with someone else.
- Being that you think you’re smarter than me, I’ll let you figure this one out.
- Being that much wiser than you, I can tell you that this is foolish.
Can You Start A Sentence With “Being Able To”?
You can start a sentence with “being able to” when you want to show what somebody is capable of doing. It shows them what actions or things they are allowed or have the ability to partake in.
- Being able to tell the difference between these two people is important.
- Being able to figure this out takes a lot of skill.
Alternatives To Starting A Sentence With “Being”
Here are some synonyms that you might benefit from. They mean similar things to starting a sentence with “being:”
- Existing as
- Living as
- Allowing oneself
- Allowing that
- Owing that
Can You End A Sentence With “Being”?
You can end a sentence with “being” when you use it as a noun to talk about the existence of something. We typically do this to talk about celestial beings (i.e., gods) or constructed beings (i.e., time being).
Here’s how it can look:
- I don’t want you to do any more for the time being.
- I didn’t think I could offer much more to the ultimate being.
How Do You Use “Being” In The Middle Of A Sentence?
It’s very common to use “being” in the middle of a sentence. In fact, it’s probably more common than starting a sentence with it.
We can use “being” in the middle of a sentence as both a gerund verb or a noun to talk about the action of “being” somebody or something or the existence of a larger entity or thing.
- All things being considered, we don’t have to worry too much about this.
“Being” is a verb form that allows us to write in the passive voice, and we include it before another verb (“considered” in the above example). We usually include a comma after the second verb to start a new clause.
- I don’t need anything for the time being, but thanks anyway.
Typically, we include a comma after “being” when used in the middle of a sentence as a noun. This is to show that two separate clauses are required.
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.
Being jealous is what’s called a free adjunct. It would be very difficult to explain exactly what linguists understand about it to you, since it requires a lot of technical knowledge.
The best way to explain it is this. Let’s start with the sentence:
Mona didn’t let her boyfriend dance with any of the cheerleaders.
At this point, the listeners doesn’t know why Mona didn’t let her boyfriend dance with any of the cheerleaders. However, the speaker wants to let the listener know why Mona didn’t let him, so they want to add that Mona was jealous.
The most straight-forward solution would be your sentence,
Mona didn’t let her boyfriend dance with any of the cheerleaders because she was jealous.
The reverse also works (Because…Mona…). But they require two clauses inside the main sentence.
[[Mona didn’t let her boyfriend dance with any of the cheerleaders] [because she was jealous.]]
Instead of having to put two clauses inside the main sentence, why not just have one with some extra information tacked on?
[Being jealous,] [[Mona didn’t let her boyfriend dance with any of the cheerleaders.]]
This is analogous to:
Jealously, Mona didn’t let her boyfriend dance with any of the cheerleaders.
The difference is that with jealously, it moved from the main clause to outside it. In other words, the original sentence was:
Mona jealously didn’t let her boyfriend dance with any of the cheerleaders.
And then the jealously moved in a process we call topicalization. Topicalization in English moves parts of the sentence to the front so they’re more prominent.
↓----------¬
Mona jealously didn't let her boyfriend dance with any of the cheerleaders.
With being jealous, however, it didn’t move from anywhere. The speaker just thought of it and attached it to a point where it’s allowed, which includes the front of the sentence.
Being jealous
↓
Mona didn't let her boyfriend dance with any of the cheerleaders.
In conclusion, being jealous is basically a quick way of saying «Mona was jealous, therefore….» with fewer words.
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yes, for example. being this good looking i feel sorry for the
ugly ones.
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Q: Can you start a sentence with being?
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There is a commonly stated “rule” of grammar that beginning a sentence with and, or any other conjunction, is a mistake. But this is just not true. This supposed “rule” has no basis in actual writing, and even formal writing features plenty of sentences that start with and and other conjunctions. And we think that is really cool. So, are we going to debunk this pesky rule (that isn’t really a rule) stating that conjunctions can’t be sentence leaders? Yes, we are.
Can you start a sentence with and?
The word and is one of the most commonly used words in English, and it is one of the seven coordinating conjunctions used to form complex sentences like this one. Normally, we use a comma when we join independent clauses together with coordinating conjunctions. For example:
- I have a cat, and my sister has a dog.
Now, it is time to answer the million dollar question. Can you start a sentence with the word and? Despite what some supposed grammar gatekeepers might tell you, the answer is yes! In fact, most style guides encourage starting a sentence with a coordinating conjunction if you are trying to make a point or using it for stylistic emphasis. For example, we can use and for dramatic effect like so:
- We used every trick, strategy, and gimmick we had at the competition. And we won!
There are a variety of reasons that we might start a sentence with and, such as for rhetorical effect, style, clarity, or flow. That being said, some people consider this to be improper, so don’t be surprised if you have a teacher or boss that takes you to task over this “mistake.” Still, you probably don’t want to overdo it and start all of your sentences with and.
➡️ One thing to keep in mind
There is one caveat to keep in mind, though, which doesn’t just apply to sentences starting with and. A complete sentence has a subject and a predicate. A collection of words that lacks one of these is not a sentence but a sentence fragment. While formal writing does allow for a very limited use of sentence fragments, these are often considered to be outright grammatical errors. So, unless you have a good reason, you should usually try to ensure your sentence that begins with and is, in fact, a sentence and not a sentence fragment. For example:
- Sentence: The woods were dark and spooky. And I think I saw a ghost!
- Sentence fragment: The circus has a dozen clowns. And a bear on a unicycle!
Examples
The following examples show the different ways we might use and to begin sentences.
- You may feel sad sometimes. And that’s okay.
- My neighbor is a nice guy who helps with yard work. And he gets me free coffee.
- The author announced another delay of her new book. And the reaction was just what you’d expect.
Can you start a sentence with but?
That takes care of and, but what about but? Like and, but is another of the seven coordinating conjunctions. All the points that we made about and apply to but as well. Typically, we use a comma when combining sentences with but. But we could use it to start a sentence instead! As with and, we might do this for many reasons. And it isn’t a mistake to do it!
Examples
Here are some examples of sentences that begin with but.
- I really need a new car. But I can’t afford one.
- It slices. It dices. It will file your taxes for you. But that’s not all!
- The comedian told all his best jokes. But nobody laughed.
You don’t always have to use but! Learn some alternatives for this common conjunction.
What about the other conjunctions?
As mentioned previously, and and but are two of the seven coordinating conjunctions. But what about the other five? Can we start sentences with them too? Yes, we can! While we typically use a comma to join sentences with coordinating conjunctions, we could also break those sentences apart.
Let’s look at examples of sentences that begin with each of the other five coordinating conjunctions.
- For: I didn’t tell my teacher I enjoyed her class. For that would be a lie.
- Nor: She didn’t hurt that poor kitty. Nor would she hurt any animal.
- Or: We could say we saw an alien. Or we could pretend none of this ever happened.
- Yet: Dash ran as hard and as fast as he could. Yet he still only finished third in the race.
- So: My daughter really doesn’t want to clean her room. So she has been hiding from me all day.
So far, we have only talked about coordinating conjunctions, but there are many more conjunctions out there. Can we start sentences with them, too? We sure can! For example:
- We will go to the store. After we eat breakfast, of course.
When we look beyond coordinating conjunctions, we see a new trend start to emerge. These other conjunctions are subordinating conjunctions, meaning they attach a subordinate clause to a main clause. Grammatically, it is considered perfectly acceptable to begin a sentence with a subordinate clause. In fact, you will see this extremely often in formal writing and even the strictest grammarian would not consider this to be against the rules. For example:
- Because I needed an A on the test, I studied harder than I ever had before.
Additionally, many of these conjunctions can also be used as adverbs and it is totally in line with grammatical rules to begin a sentence with an adverbial phrase:
- After all that running around, my dog took a long nap.
All of this means that not only can you start sentences with conjunctions, you might end up with a much clearer and interesting sentence if you do!
Examples
Let’s finish things up by looking at a whole bunch of great sentences that begin with conjunctions.
- My kids would never steal something. Because they know stealing is wrong.
- I didn’t call his bluff. Although I was really tempted to.
- This puzzle is really easy. Even a baby could solve it.
- We will catch Bigfoot. If we can ever find him.
- She said she was going to meet Bart in Springfield. Wherever that is.
- Nate can be the best player on the team. When he feels like it.
- This mystery is all but solved. Now that Sherlock Holmes is here.
- The two brothers need to work together. Before it is too late.
And there’s more—Grammar Coach™, that is!
Confused about conjunctions and their proper use? The Thesaurus.com Grammar Coach™ platform makes writing papers, essays, emails, and a whole lot more a whole lot easier. This writing tool uses machine-learning technology uniquely designed to catch grammar as well as spelling errors. Its Synonym Swap will find the best nouns, adjectives, and more to help say what you really mean, guiding you toward clearer, stronger, writing.
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
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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.
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