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You should never start a sentence with the words “and” or “but”—never.

If that was drilled into your head at some point during your elementary school English lessons, then you’re not alone. Most of us were taught this rule in school—and we followed it with every writing assessment, research paper, and book report we ever wrote.

So, if it’s improper to start a sentence with the words “and” or “but” then why do so many prolific, notable writers do it? As do bloggers, journalists, and copywriters. It might seem like a rebellious move—but the truth is, it’s not really “against the rules” at all.

Telling It Straight

The truth is, it’s okay to start a sentence with the words “and” or “but”—if you do it correctly. After all, there is a time and place for everything, right?

First, let’s take a quick jump down memory lane to those Schoolhouse Rock! tapes you watched when the substitute teacher didn’t know the subject. Ever had the tune to “Conjunction Junction” stuck in your head for no apparent reason? You’re not alone.

However, after so many years, do you remember what the function of a conjunction really is? It might seem obvious—a conjunction connects two thoughts or ideas. “And” and “but” are called coordinating conjunctions and are a part of a much longer list of words.

There are seven coordinating conjunctions:

However, the ones we were specifically taught to avoid starting a sentence with are “and” and “but.” The good news is, you can rest easy knowing that there is no true grammar rule that says you can’t ever start a sentence with one of these conjunctions.

“Contrary to what your high school English teacher told you, there’s no reason not to begin a sentence with but or and; in fact, these words often make a sentence more forceful and graceful. They are almost always better than beginning with however or additionally.” — Professor Jack Lynch, Associate Professor of English, Rutgers University, New Jersey

Why Were We All Taught a Rule that Doesn’t Exist?

Realizing now, ten, twenty, or even thirty years or more later that you were lied to might be frustrating—but your teachers really did have your best interests in mind. While there is no definitive answer as to why we were taught this “rule,” the explanation that makes the most sense was that it was meant to prevent kids from writing the way they talk.

Think about it—have you listened to a child or teenager talk for any extended amount of time? If you have, then you can understand exactly what these teachers were trying to avoid.

If you haven’t—well, these two examples will help provide some insight…

“We wanted to go to get burgers and they weren’t open. But we still got burgers. But we had to go somewhere else to get them. But they weren’t as good as the ones we were going to get.”

“My friend and I went to the beach yesterday. And while we were on the beach, we saw lots of seagulls and other birds. And this one seagull stole some guy’s fries while he was trying to eat them! And it scared the guy so much, he jumped nearly ten feet in the air!”

It’s one thing to verbally hear a story told in this fashion. But reading it is an entirely different experience. No matter what the word is, you never want to start too many consecutive sentences with the same word. The overuse of “and” and “but” in spoken English is likely the main reason our teachers forbid us from starting a sentence with them in our writing!

When Is It Okay to Start a Sentence with “And” or “But”?

So, if there is a time and place for everything—where is the proper time and place to use “and” or “but” at the beginning of your sentence?

The first thing you want to remember is that you’re using this word to connect two thoughts—so your phrase should be able to stand on its own. This means it has a clearly defined subject and verb.

If you remove your conjunction and you suddenly have a sentence fragment that doesn’t seem to make sense, then you need to rework your wording. Perhaps this means making your two sentences one—using “and” or “but” with a comma, rather than a period.

You should also take into consideration what you are writing. Different types of writing call for different approaches. The use of “and” or “but” at the start of a sentence sometimes brings a sense of informality. It might be right for your blog posts, whereas more formal coordinating conjunctions like “additionally” or “however” might read better in a white paper.

The bottom line is though, it’s never truly off limits. Sometimes it’s more impactful to be so precise and direct.

When Should You Follow the Old “English Class Rule”?

In most business writing—especially digital marketing copy like blog posts, emails, and social media posts—you shouldn’t stress using “and” or “but” to start your sentence. No one is going to point it out. No one is going to laugh at you. In fact, someone else who doesn’t already know the truth might think you’re the rebel for being so daring in the first place!

But there are times when you’ll want to follow this mock rule. Data-driven content—case studies, statistic focused white papers, text book content, these are places where you might not only see less opportunity to start a sentence with a conjunction, but also where it could be beneficial to avoid doing so.

If you’ve already got years of practice avoiding starting your sentence with one of these words, then it might take some retraining to find yourself starting a sentence this way. On the other hand, following this rule helps you to expand your vocabulary and use other words and phrases to get your points across. (I could have used “but” to start that last sentence; «on the other hand» adds variety while also giving a stronger sense of weighing up options.)

Breathe Easy Knowing You’re Not the Only Misled Student

It’s been years now since teachers started drumming into students that they should never—ever—start their sentence with the words “and” or “but.” If you’re one of likely millions who was taught this lie during your schooldays, don’t feel bad. This is just another case of a few people creating a problem for the rest of us.

Since teachers didn’t think they could trust some students to be more creative in telling their stories, they restricted everyone. Sure, it worked—you’ll hardly come across something written on the internet with repetitive starts, especially not “and” or “but”—but at what cost? Many of us were following a grammar rule that doesn’t exist—and probably got irrationally mad that editors missed such a common mistake again and again.

Can you already feel the weight lifted? If you’re one of many who has been avoiding using “and” or “but” to start a sentence, don’t hold back! It’s the freedom that comes with finding out a constraint you’ve worked around for years is no longer an issue.

Try using this new technique in your writing to create more direct and powerful statements.

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Contents

1 How do you start a sentence with and?
2 How do you not start a sentence with and?
3 What words can’t you start a sentence with?
4 Why would you start a sentence with and?
5 Is starting a sentence with and bad?
6 What can I use instead of and in a sentence?
7 Can you start a sentence with and Reddit?
8 Can a sentence start with because?
9 Can I start a sentence with preposition?
10 Can you start a sentence with but creative writing?
11 Can you start a sentence with however Reddit?
12 How do you use before and after in a sentence?
13 Can adverbs start sentences?
14 Can you start a sentence with except?
15 What is a sentence with the word before?
16 Is before and after a preposition?
17 How do you use before?
18 Can you use two transition words in a sentence?
19 Does before mean first?

There is nothing wrong with starting sentences with “and,” “but,” or other similar conjunctions. 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.

How do you not start a sentence with and?

If you’re conjoining two independent clauses, you can replace the conjunction with an adverb or adverbial phrase.

And → Additionally, | Also, | Furthermore, | Likewise, | Moreover, | etc.
But → However, | Nevertheless, | On the other hand, | etc.

What words can’t you start a sentence with?

However, in formal writing, coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) are disapproved as sentence starting words. You can remember them using the FANBOYS acronym from their first letters.

Why would you start a sentence with and?

‘Contrary to what your high school English teacher told you, there’s no reason not to begin a sentence with but or and; in fact, these words often make a sentence more forceful and graceful. They are almost always better than beginning with however or additionally.

Is starting a sentence with and bad?

Yes, you can start a sentence with “and.” There’s nothing wrong with that at all. And anyone who says otherwise has probably never studied language or linguistics beyond elementary school.

What can I use instead of and in a sentence?

We replace the word and with the word further in the sentence below. Further; in addition; moreover; as well as; as also; together with; in the company of; accompanied by; with, etc.

Can you start a sentence with and Reddit?

Reddit, is it, or is it not “incorrect” to start a sentence with “and” or other conjunctions? From my research it seems that it is a rule “on the books” but that it has really fallen out of favor and beginning a sentence with “and” is acceptable today (as long as it’s not done in excess, etc).

Can a sentence start with because?

The word “because” is a conjunction that means “for the reason that.” A conjunction is a word that joins other words or groups of words in a sentence. To answer your question: Yes, you can start a sentence with “because.” However, to be a complete sentence, it must express a complete thought.

Can I start a sentence with preposition?

It has been said that prepositions should never start or end a sentence. … The best way to start a sentence with a preposition is in an introductory phrase. When you do this, you should usually place a comma after the phrase.

Can you start a sentence with but creative writing?

It’s fine to start a sentence with and, but, or another coordinating conjunction like or and so. … In creative writing, the pause indicated by a period before the conjunction can lead up to an unexpected twist or punchline, or it can make the sentence more forceful and urgent.

Can you start a sentence with however Reddit?

The question I get asked most frequently about “however” is whether it is OK to use “however” at the beginning of a sentence, and the answer is yes: it is fine to start a sentence with “however.” You just need to know when to use a comma and when to use a semicolon.

How do you use before and after in a sentence?

Note: when ‘after’ or ‘before’ is followed by a verb, that verb can be in the ‘-ing’ form, or be a conjugated verb with a subject. After arriving at the hotel, Mr. Lee went straight to the reception desk. Before I go to bed, I always say a prayer for my parents’ good health.

Can adverbs start sentences?

One technique you can use so as to avoid beginning a sentence with the subject is to use an adverb. An adverb is a word that describes a verb, adjective, or other adverb and often ends in -ly. Note that an adverb used at the beginning of a sentence is usually followed by a comma. …

Can you start a sentence with except?

Start with your main idea – not an exception. When you start a sentence with an introductory phrase or clause beginning with “except,” you almost certainly force the reader to reread your sentence. You are stating an exception to a rule before you have stated the underlying rule.

What is a sentence with the word 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.

Is before and after a preposition?

In current linguistic analysis – while, when, before, after, and since — are prepositions which take a clause as their complement: a finite clause (while we were walking home) or a nonfinite gerund-participle clause (while walking home). Before and after additionally take a noun complement (before me).

How do you use before?

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.

Can you use two transition words in a sentence?

While you can have too few transition words, you can also add too many. Not only is using too many transition words distracting in the writing, but it can also make the piece hard to read and understand.

Does before mean first?

conjunction. Definition of before (Entry 3 of 3) 1a(1) : earlier than the time that call me before you go. (2) : sooner or quicker than I’ll be done before you know it.

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Can the word «AND» be used to start a new sentence? I was taught that you never start a sentence with the word «AND». The reason being it is grammatically incorrect. Is this so?

Yes that’s right. Though sometimes authors do it in novels as a language technique.

Yes that’s right. Though sometimes authors do it in novels as a language technique.

Thank you. Do you know of any links that I can go to that will substantiate what you said?

OVER-USING «and» or «but» at the beginning of sentences is annoying and child-like. But there is nothing wrong with using these words, for effect or variety, once in a while. See this site and this one or see the book of Genesis in the NIV Bible:

2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3 And God said, «Let there be light,» and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light «day,» and the darkness he called «night.» And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Can the word «AND» be used to start a new sentence? I was taught that you never start a sentence with the word «AND». The reason being it is grammatically incorrect. Is this so?

The belief that it is grammatically incorrect, or even bad style, to begin a sentence with and is a superstition. As it says in The American Heritage Book of English Usage, under its article «and,» «writers from Shakespeare to Joyce Carol Oates have used and and but to start sentences.»

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It’s perfectly acceptable to begin a sentence with and (as well as doing so with words such as but or or). Using and at the beginning of a sentence has been a practice for over a thousand years.

Whether or not one should avoid using certain words at the very beginning of a sentence is one of those tidbits of grammatical information that nestles in some corner of our brains, dimly but persistently reminding us that we are probably doing something wrong. (The truly painstaking nitpicker will point out that the opening line of this piece begins with one of those words, whether, that has been declared unfit to begin a sentence.)

fanboys

The mnemonic ‘FANBOYS’ (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) is a useful way to remember the coordinating conjunctions. But it’s not a guide to words that don’t belong at the beginning of a sentence.

Many people content themselves with the trusted maxim «do not begin sentences with and or but.» If you are interested in learning whether or not this is a sensible rule, well, it is not. And if you don’t much care whether the rule is sensible or not, and just want to keep telling people that they are wrong when they use certain words to begin their sentences, well, you are in luck, since there have been many more prohibitions against sentence-initial words than just and and but.

The Beginning of And/But in the Beginning

Firstly, has it ever been wrong to begin a sentence with and or but? No, it has not. We have been breaking this rule all the way from the 9th century Old English Chronicle through the current day. Many translations of the Bible are filled with sentence-initial ands and buts, and they even may be found in some of our more beloved—and prescriptive—usage guides. The 1959 edition of Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style begins two sentences in a row with these prohibited words, and does so with nary a trace of self-consciousness.

But since writing is communication, clarity can only be a virtue. And although there is no substitute for merit in writing, clarity comes closest to being one.
—William Strunk Jr. & E. B. White, The Elements of Style, 1959

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage begins its entry on and with this statement: «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.» The entry notes that there has been speculation that sentence-initial ands were discouraged to prevent children from stringing together interminable lists of clauses or sentences. While it makes sense to avoid an enormous pile of independent clauses in one’s writing, it seems unlikely that trying to change the way people naturally use the language will solve this problem. There are times when it would be ill-advised to begin a sentence with and or but, and there are times when it works just fine.

Can You Begin a Sentence with These Words?

If you are one of those people who prefers to avoid people who begin their sentences with these words, and if you would like to further curtail your sentence-initial word choices, there have been a large number of other words that we have previously been told not to use in that position. Here is a smattering:

Do not begin a sentence with however or a similar unimportant word.
—Jacob Cloyd Tressler, English in Action, 1929

Do not begin a sentence with “also” or “likewise.”
—George Hitchcock, Sermon Composition, 1908

Or never begins a sentence, paragraph, or chapter.
—James Brown, The American System of English Grammar, 1826

Never begin a sentence—or a clause—with also.
—J. M. D. Meiklejohn, The Art of Writing English, 1899

Teach the elimination of but, so, and, because, at the beginning of a sentence.
—Documents of the School Committee of the City of Boston, 1916

A sentence should not commence with the conjunctions and, for, or however….
—George Payn Quackenbos, An Advanced Course of Composition and Rhetoric, 1854

FANBOYS (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So)

Some people may remember learning the mnemonic FANBOYS when studying the coordinating conjunctions for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. And some instructors also still use this as means of explaining which words should not be given the chance to lead the parade. But it’s
slightly ridiculous to insist that these words should never be used to begin a sentence, when a thousand years of English writing has shown this to be a fine way to start off.

If you’re going to create a silly-sounding acronym to list these words, then go whole-hog and list all of the words that schoolchildren have been told not to put at the beginnings of sentences over the past 200 years. We crafted one for you that helpfully looks like a web address: WWWFLASHYBONNBAN, which stands, obviously, for whether, well, why, for, likewise, and, so, however, yet, but, or, nor, now, because, also, nevertheless.

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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.

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