The word and at the beginning of a sentence - Word и Excel - помощь в работе с программами

I would offer an expansion on those answers concluding that it is not forbidden to start a sentence with «And.» The examples thus far are all short sentences which are arguably suited to merging into a single sentence per Chris Browne, excepting the strong emphasis example offered by Sunshine.

My own frequent usage of «And» is associated with two contexts. The first is long sentences that do not easily bear further continuation, yet which are incomplete in their intended task. They require a further thought that, though necessarily connected, is sufficiently different to sensibly permit a new sentence. The «And» makes the connection of the two thoughts less burdensome than would be the case if all were combined into one sentence, however grammatically correct.

The second context is in speeches I write for politicians and business people. While there is obviously a distinction between what is fit for spoken versus written English, the gap need not be large between formal speeches and the written form. And so I say speeches should be written with a mind to being read more frequently than ever they will be spoken.

Now the «And» that starts the previous sentence can be seen as completely superfluous. A sharper writer would omit the entire entrance «And so I say,» to achieve that vaunted goal of using the fewest words possible. But I do not acknowledge a linguistic famine that mandates such strict rationing.

I pose no defense against a charge of bad style. To me it is pleasing. And to my clients it has been effective. Or so it would seem by the fact that they return to the source of this bad style.

I can write compactly. I do, as required.

But, when the opportunity presents itself, I luxuriate in languid, listless, indulgent sentences, that succeed in communicating meaning, not for the miserly sake of communicating meaning, but to the more generous end of letting the language dance. And that can take the form of using conjunctions as instruments of pacing, or of bridges over which the waltz can move from one thought to the next.

This is what for me separates language as work from language as recreation.

I can do the work. But I want to play.

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I see people give a picture in some web album the title which starts with «and» or «…and» (lowercase a). Do they assume people would know some story behind it that can be indicated in the picture? Or is there some meaning else?

Hi,

I would assume the web albums have a rather casual setting and that’s probably not a rule you should adopt for more formal writing. However, it might help if you could give us some examples of this usage of «and» you’re talking about.

Cheers!

Sometimes people (like me for example) use the titles to tell a story. So the title of photo #3 could be a continuation of the sentence that began with photo #1. I would normally use ellipses … to indicate that kind of continuation.

As a general guideline, students of English are advised not to start sentences with and, or even And. That helps to encourage good sentence structure. But you will find that experienced writers often begin sentences with conjunctions — it has always been so. For more, see these threads:

But at the start of sentence

«yet» at the beginning of a sentence

The Irish language often uses its ‘and’ at the start of a sentence. Some people with an Irish background can unconsciously use this formation when constructing a sentence in English — even though they might not know enough Irish to express the same thoughts in Irish .
A lot of the ungrammatical English spoken in Ireland can be traced to Irish language constructions.
Perhaps other languages have similar influences on how some people compose their English sentences.

Thank you, panjandrum.

Your comment is very educational to me.
I will remember «donate to you».

And I now find my error. «in a certain circumstances» is worng.
«in certain circumstances» or «in a certain circumstance» should be right.

Hello teachers.
This is from another thread posted by myself.

If I remember correctly, my English teacher used to say that «And» at the top of a sentence is not good.
Is it right?
If so, what is better instead of «And»?
«By the way,» or «Well«?

I think I often write a sentence starting with «And».
And I think it seems childish because my 8 year old daughter often uses and-equivalent-Japanese-word at the begining of her Japanese sentences, which seems very childish to me. So I am correcting her now.
So am I.

And I wonder if there were more proper and lofty conjunctions.
Please help me.

Last edited: Dec 31, 2008

You remember correctly- it is not proper to begin sentences with the word «and» or «but». Omit the «and» from the front of the sentence altogether. Other conjunctions depend on the topic.. you could use «also» or «for instance» if appropriate. I hope this helps..

«And» is a joining word so its use at the beginning of a sentence is not correct because you’re not «joining» anything when you start a new sentence.

I cannot tell you what is «better». There are many, many ways to do this but I would not use «By the way» or «Well». I’ll use the sentences that you provided in your post:

«I think I often write a sentence starting with «And». I think it seems childish because my 8—year—old daughter often uses and-equivalent-Japanese-word at the begining of her Japanese sentences, which seems very childish to me~~. So~~ and I am correcting her now.

I wonder if there ~~were~~ are more proper and lofty conjunctions.»

I’ve simply deleted the «And»s.

I’ve also deleted the «So» at the beginning of your second-last sentence. Some would argue that it’s acceptable at the beginning of a sentence but I’m one of those who would not.

Using or not using and at the beginning of a sentence is a matter of style and not grammar. And, but, and numerous other conjunctions are perfectly normal and acceptable at the beginning of an English sentence as far as English grammar is concerned and are frequently found in corpora of natural English conversation.

In formal writing, though, you might opt for a more formal discourse marker, such as «moreover», «as well», «furthermore», «additionally» etc. In informal speech and writing, though, «And…» is just another perfectly ordinary discourse organizer.

Thank you, ValeLaPena, Dimcl and Transatlantic.

Using or not using and at the beginning of a sentence is a matter of style and not grammar. And, but, and numerous other conjunctions are perfectly normal and acceptable at the beginning of an English sentence as far as English grammar is concerned and are frequently found in corpora of natural English conversation.

In formal writing, though, you might opt for a more formal discourse marker, such as «moreover», «as well», «furthermore», «additionally» etc. In informal speech and writing, though, «And…» is just another perfectly ordinary discourse organizer.

Very well stated!

«And what of the things beneath its crust? And of the great spaces with no world
at all?» C.S. Lewis

You remember correctly- it is not proper to begin sentences with the word «and» or «but». Omit the «and» from the front of the sentence altogether. Other conjunctions depend on the topic.. you could use «also» or «for instance» if appropriate. I hope this helps..

Please remember to tell that ruffian W. Shakespeare.

As You Like It

Silvius. It is to be all made of faith and service; And so am I for Phebe.
Phebe. And I for Ganymede.
Orlando. And I for Rosalind.
Rosalind. And I for no woman.

I agree that «and» is often used at the start of sentences in literary contexts and in informal writing that is perhaps intended to reflect common speech patterns.

I do however think it is important (I almost started with «But» there) to confirm the general rule for the benefit of those learning English, which is that, as a matter of good style, they are best to avoid starting a sentence with «and» or «but» (or indeed «so»).

Please remember to tell that ruffian W. Shakespeare.

As You Like It

:

Silvius. It is to be all made of faith and service; And so am I for Phebe.
Phebe. And I for Ganymede.
Orlando. And I for Rosalind.
Rosalind. And I for no woman.

Oh- I only meant that my textbooks say one should avoid it in formal writings. They (usually) don’t put conditions on writing as an art form… thank you for the perspective!

I’m not incorrigible.

Last edited: Dec 31, 2008

In spoken English, I see no problem with beginning a sentence with «and», especially if you, or your daughter, or the Bard are adding to a previous thought.

In formal English it’s usually unnecessary.

If you insist, you could try:
I often think …
I also wonder …

Students of English should be aware that starting a sentence with a co-ordinating conjunction (such as and) is frowned upon by many people. Some of those people could be marking your English exams, so be careful.

The reason for their frowning is not that this is a grammatical error. To quote Fowler’s New Modern English Usage:
«There is a persistent belief that it is improper to begin a sentence with And, but this prohibition has been cheerfully ignored by standard authors from Anglo-Saxon times onwards. An initial And is a useful aid to writers as the narrative continues.»

It is frowned upon because it is a typical symptom of inadequate thought or a hacked-up run-on sentence.

«Do not start a sentence with a conjunction.» is a very useful guideline. Using a conjunction to start a sentence is generally a bad thing, but sometimes it is exactly right.
Hence this modified version of the «rule».
Do not start a sentence with a conjunction without being aware that you are doing it, and being confident that it is stylistically acceptable.

(There is an alternative version: Do not start a sentence with a conjunction until you have been writing English every day for at least 45 years )

I think that last rule is a bit harsh, Panj. but I take the point about learners not trying it in the first few years, and about people correcting English exams not always being broadminded about such things.

I hate to see such blanket rules laid down for beginners when they aren’t a matter of grammar at all. I know that teachers sometimes lay down rules which aren’t sound in themselves but maybe will elicit the right response from the pupil: my grandmother’s Lancashire driving instructor, Mr Grimes, told her sagely: ‘When ye get ter cross-roawds, git over before trouble develops’.

Are we necessarily to assume that nothing has gone before? You take away a wonderful resource of the language by making such assumptions. Here’s a great Elizabethan poet, one of the most elaborate anti-heroes of English literature, making fun this time of his incompetence as a lover by use of the device.

I fully agree with the fine advice given by panj, el escoces, and Transatlantic. Learners, both native and non-native speakers of English, should use great care, or be prudent and avoid an initial ‘and’. I maintain my sense of mirth toward those who confuse such advice with a «rule».

I second Panj’s approach. It’s asking for chaos, in my view, to attempt to teach a language on the basis of what some writers successfully do. One needs to learn to walk first, so to speak. Anything more advanced can wait.

As a general guideline for beginners, I see no harm in a rule that indicates that sentences shouldn’t be started with «and» or «but».

EDIT: and by rule I don’t mean absolute rule, clearly, but generally applicable rule (capable of being broken, like all good rules)

Just to confuse students further, it is fine to write

«‘And’ and ‘but’ are two common conjunctions,» and

«But for my timely advice, he would be in prison now.»

Rover

I think while technically the rule is that you can’t use «And» at the beginning of the sentence, it’s not a very important rule, so lots of people ignore it. It’s quite common to see, and I wouldn’t think anything of it if I saw it.

Technically the «rule» is due to and being a co-ordinating conjunction; in other words, it co-ordinates what is said before it in a sentence with what is said after it. It follows from this that it should be in the middle of a sentence because if it is the first word in a sentence, there is nothing before it in that sentence. Yet skilful writers and journalists use and in initial position. In those cases, and co-ordinates what has been said in the previous sentence with what follows it:

He sat down on a bench. And he wasn’t even tired.

Technically, this is of course wrong but it is commonly used for emphasis or as a stylistic device. The same applies to other co-ordinating conjunctions like but, for example.

Loob

I often start sentences with And or But.

I like Grumpy Old Man’s comment:

it is commonly used for emphasis or as a stylistic device.

I was schooled to never start a sentence with «and», and for many years I hewed to that rule. More recently I’ve found that starting a sentence with «and» can be just fine. And that’s just the way it is.

I remember to read somewhere in this forum that we should not start a sentence with and. Here is one reference below.
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=64399 #4

The Wordreference contributor in #4 did not specify
— which grammarian he was citing, or
— why he thought that grammarian was authoritative, or
— what kind of English the «rules» were meant to apply to, or
— why the grammarian thought those were useful «rules».
In these circumstances, the «rules» must be taken with a big pinch of salt.

Last edited: May 12, 2009

Don’t start a sentence with «And».

That is a very useful rule/instruction/guideline for beginners in English. The thread that veracity linked in post #1 includes this incredibly wise statement:

panj said:

That «rule» is another of the «Guidelines for learners of English, native and non-native» that are very helpful, but should not be revered as solemn and binding commitments on everyone for ever.

See And at the head of a sentence.

ewie

I was taught (circa 1970) never to start a sentence with an and or a but.
I’ve always been pleased to ignore that particular meaningless rule.

Is it right to start a sentence with the word ‘AND’? I happened to see such usages many times in websites. But once my teacher said it is not a right usage. Actually I’m confused.

There are actually two types of usage that seem to get lumped together. There’s when a sentence starts with the word «and», and when a sentence fragment starts with «and». Examples:

We went to the store. And we bought some milk. And bread.

The first «and» starts off a sentence. The second «and» starts off a sentence fragment. I think that the prohibition against «and» originated in trying to discourage sentence fragments, but now many teachers simply state that sentences shouldn’t start with «and» even if it’s not a sentence fragment.

If you start a sentence with and, you suggest that something has gone before. Clearly the writer may have been unspecific about what the something may be. This is a device commonly used by writers to intrigue their readers and to raise questions in their minds.

It’s not something I’d recommend to learners in the language, but the suggestion that it should be solemnified into a rule of some kind is absurd.

PaulQ

Perhaps the commonest use of And starting a sentence is where the theme, rather than the preceding subject, is continued:

Newscaster: “Today, the president opened the new science block at the university.” [There is a videoed report, at the end of which…] “And, in other news, a bear was stuck up a tree in Washington.” [Another video is shown.]

The theme of “news” was continued, but the subject was changed.

Also
“So this concludes my lecture on the life of the squirrel.

And on another matter, I see that we have Professor Black in the audience, who has studied fruit trees for 20 years.”

The theme of a talk from someone continues, but his topic has changed.

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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.

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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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I was always taught that you should never begin a sentence with the words: and or but, etc…is this true, because recently a professional writer said that you can begin a sentence that way and she does so all the time.

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I was taught the same thing. Generally, conjunctions should be used to join clauses, not to begin sentences.
Does anyone have an other opinion?

Mike in Japan

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it is one of those pretty pointless old rules, some ppl will still be sniffy about it. Indeed, it still seems odd to me to see «and» as sentencer opener, «but» seems increasingly OK, if the situation needs it!

suzi

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Instead of AND, you can also start the sentence with ‘In addition, Furthermore, Moreover’. Those have the same meaning of And.

Instead of starting the sentence with But, I join the two sentence.
ex.. I am ………… ,but …………… (1st sentence + comma + but+ 2nd sentence)

louisthu

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It is still a point of contention, but most authorities now accept «and» and «but» as perfectly good ways to begin sentences. Lord knows the Bible is filled with such examples.

pedant

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The Bible and Shakespeare and anyone else who wrote their texts pre-1760 are full of such examples, cos that’s (approximately) the date when the «rule book» that has shaped our sense of «correct» style was published!

suzi

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I understand official documents have to be written following rules and exam papers, essays, practical reports, and so, too.
But if you are talking about Literature all styles are valid. That’s my view.

Remember how trellis answered questions here at EF? He had his personal style that made his anwsers look like pieces of painting, he alternated lines with several words followed by lines with an unique word, those unique words used to be «and», «but». Besides, he added humour to the anwers and this, plus his accurate explanations were very good for us because we didn’t have to put any effort in remembering, the rule or the explanation got impressed in mind easily. I miss his answers, he even was willing to proofread long writings, not only short questions about Grammar or usage, so good teacher and everything for free!This EF site is a marvel for students, I hope it continue like this for decades

Elena

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The use of the word ‘and’ or ‘but’ at the beginning of a sentence is an informal style of writing that is useful for emphasising a particular point. In my opinion it is acceptable to use the word ‘and’ to start a sentence as long as it continues an argumentative point as opposed to adding description.
Here are some examples:
(incorrect) There are five people in the car. And they are wearing seatbelts.
(correct) Michael’s car was his favourite colour, red. And, in choosing this particular colour, Michael had also considered the effect of depreciation on the future resale value.

anonymous

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Conjunction are not to be used at the beginning of a sentence, since it creates an incomplete thought. For example it would be improper to say: However, it IS acceptable to use «and» and «but» as you might «in addition» or «however». It depends on your thought and sentence structure.

anonymous

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Tip: See my list of the Most Common Mistakes in English. It will teach you how to avoid mistakes with commas, prepositions, irregular verbs, and much more.

Most people were told at some point in their lives that starting a sentence with a conjunction is ungrammatical. Long story short, no such rule exists or has ever existed, and telling an English learner (or a native speaker, for that matter) that they should never start a sentence with a conjunction is a mistake on the part of the teacher.

There is, however, a subtle difference between a coordinating conjunction preceded by a comma and by a full stop (period). In the case of “and”, a comma implies that both parts of the sentence are equally important, while a full stop implies that the second part is just an additional “bonus”, something of interest but not as important as the first part. Compare:

You will get a new car, and you can win a lot of money.
You will get a new car. And you can win a lot of money.

Similarly, “or” preceded by a comma implies that the two alternatives are equally acceptable, whereas a full stop is often used when there is a “but”:

You can book a flight, or you can take a bus.
You can book a flight. Or you can take a bus, but that would be a long ride.

When “but” starts a sentence, it is usually used to emphasize an important disadvantage to what has been said previously. It is then often followed by a comma, which is pronounced as a pause:

Sure you can work in the Antarctic. But, it can result in your funds being frozen. [lame joke intended]

“So” is sometimes used to start a sentence (often followed by a comma) when the whole discussion has come to an end, or an important question ensues:

You must choose either life or death. So, what do you choose?

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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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When most of us were in school, our English teachers made a point of forbidding us to begin a sentence with “and” or “but.” It’s one of those lessons that stuck, and writers today go to extreme lengths to avoid it. Is it really forbidden, though? Or is it just a myth?

Grammar experts universally agree that it’s a myth. According to The New Fowler’s Modern English Usage, writers have been doing it pretty much since the beginning of writing. One theory for the perplexing prohibition is that teachers were trying to encourage their young students to form complex sentences. By not allowing the use of either conjunction at the beginning of a sentence, students were forced to think about their writing and not simply string together a series of simple clauses.

Unfortunately, teachers never assigned an endpoint to the ban, and since old habits die hard, we still adhere to it today. Thus, if it works for you, there’s no reason to avoid it. Still, there are a couple of things to keep in mind as you’re considering using “and” or “but” at the start of a sentence.

1. Scrutinize the sentence to see if it would work without the conjunction or if it might work better directly linked to the previous sentence:

Acceptable: Lucy is taking the early flight. But I’m taking the red-eye.

Better: Lucy is taking the early flight. I’m taking the red-eye.

Better: Lucy is taking the early flight, but I’m taking the red-eye.

Better: Lucy is taking the early flight because she prefers to fly nonstop. But I’m taking the red-eye because it’s cheaper.

2. Do not use a comma after an initial “and” or “but” unless it is the first of a pair of commas that set off a parenthetical phrase.

Incorrect: But, I’m taking the red-eye.

Correct: But, because of my precarious financial condition, I’m taking the red-eye.

It’s difficult to break old habits, but this one is worth considering. Just don’t tell your teacher.

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Susanne Alfredsson / Getty Images

Updated on February 05, 2020

According to a usage note in the fourth edition of The American Heritage Dictionary, «But may be used to begin a sentence at all levels of style.» And in «The King’s English», Kingsley Amis says that «the idea that and must not begin a sentence or even a paragraph, is an empty superstition. The same goes for but. Indeed either word can give unimprovably early warning of the sort of thing that is to follow.»

The same point was made over a century ago by Harvard rhetorician Adams Sherman Hill: «Objection is sometimes taken to employment of but or and at the beginning of a sentence; but for this, there is much good usage» (The Principles of Rhetoric, 1896). In fact, it has been common practice to begin sentences with a conjunction since at least as far back as the 10th century.

The Usage Myth Persists

Still, the myth persists that and and but should be used only to join elements within a sentence, not to link one sentence to another. Here, for instance, is an edict found recently on an English professor’s «Composition Cheat Sheet»:

Never begin a sentence with a conjunction of any kind, especially one of the FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so ).

This same fussbudget, by the way, outlaws the splitting of infinitives — another durable grammar myth.

But at least the professor is in good company. Early in his career, William Shawn, longtime editor of The New Yorker magazine, had a penchant for converting sentence-initial buts into howevers. As Ben Yagoda reports in «When You Catch an Adjective, Kill It», Shawn’s habit inspired one of the magazine’s writers, St. Clair McKelway, to compose this «impassioned defense» of but:

If you are trying for an effect which comes from having built up a small pile of pleasant possibilities which you then want to push over as quickly as possible, dashing the reader’s hopes that he is going to get out of a nasty situation as easily as you have intentionally led him to believe, you have got to use the word «but» and it is usually more effective if you begin the sentence with it. «But love is tricky» means one thing, and «however, love is tricky» means another — or at least gives the reader a different sensation. «However» indicates a philosophical sigh; «but» presents an insuperable obstacle. . . .
«But,» when used as I used it in these two places, is, as a matter of fact, a wonderful word. In three letters it says a little of «however,» and also «be that as it may,» and also «here’s something you weren’t expecting» and a number of other phrases along that line. There is no substitute for it. It is short and ugly and common. But I love it.

Know Your Audience

Still, not everybody loves initial but. The authors of «Keys for Writers» note that «some readers may raise an eyebrow when they see and or but starting a sentence in an academic paper, especially if it happens often.» So if you don’t want to see eyebrows raised, ration your use of these words at the beginnings of sentences.

But in any event, don’t start scratching out your ands and buts on our account.

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