Starting sentences with 'and', 'but', 'or' and 'so'

[MillyBecker]

Could this be attribited to writing style, or is it just bad grammar?

If this is in the wrong forum, please move it.

[Medievalist]

In broad terms (there are exceptions for specific sentences, of course) there is no grammar rule against starting a sentence with any of these words; it's been going on for over a thousand years in various forms of English.

There are usage or style preferences, particularly those propounded in 1-12 education, that suggest Very Bad Things will happen if you begin a sentence, with (for example) "and" or "but." But these are unfounded warnings. And people begin sentences with but, and, and so frequently in spoken English. Ask yourself if you really need the word at the beginning; if you don't, delete it.

In general, don't do anything all the time, or to excess. But if you have reason to begin a sentence with but, the world won't end if once in a while you do. If your particular publisher's house style says Never Do This, then don't; if you using dialog in a novel, you should emulate realistic speech patterns as appropriate for your characters.

So use your words wisely, and well.

[Julie Worth]

I use and when I want to sound biblical:

... And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said...

[sassandgroove]

I can't improve on what Midievalist wrote. Very good advice.

I will say that I often start sentences with But when I am writing the thoughts of a main charater, which kind of goes along with the dialog thing. Go with what feels right.

And God said, write what you want! ;) Julie Worth

[maestrowork]

Avoid that in formal writing, or professional journalism/non-fiction. However, it becomes a style issue in fiction or creative non-fiction. And I agree, even as a stylistic choice, if you do it too much, it can be very distracting and can be considered bad writing.

[pconsidine]

I have to say, I've been reading Machiavelli's The Prince and his propensity to begin sentences with the word "and" (at least in this translation) makes it sound like one 40-page run-on sentence. The advice to avoid excess should be very well-heeded.

[cwfgal]

I never begin a sentence with "and", "but", "or", or "so." But if I did, I think I would choose "so." Or maybe "but." And I suppose I could do "or" if I really had to. So says my muse, anyway.

Beth

[Mistook]

I guess the logic behind not starting sentences with those words is that they are conjunctions?

I don't worry too much about it. I'm writing in 3rd limited, so the sentence structures are always in some way a reflection of the POV character's thoughts and perceptions. I'll do other "illegal" things, like putting periods at the end of sentence fragments, if it suits the mood, and the cadence of the moment.

[AdamH]

I don't worry too much about it. I'm writing in 3rd limited, so the sentence structures are always in some way a reflection of the POV character's thoughts and perceptions. I'll do other "illegal" things, like putting periods at the end of sentence fragments, if it suits the mood, and the cadence of the moment.

I agree with this. If it serves the character and mood of the book, there's nothing wrong with starting any sentence with a conjunction. In fiction or creative non-fiction, I think all "rules" should be allowed to go by the wayside.

[Jamesaritchie]

The rule against starting a sentenec with "and" or "but" applies to formal writing only, and it's a pretty good rule to follow when writing formally. Otherwise, it's like anything else in that too much is bad because it draws attention to itself.

But when a sentence is better if it begins with a conjunction, then you start the sentence with a conjunction.

[MillyBecker]

Thanks for all the advice.

:)

[Tish Davidson]

Different publishers have different guidelines, too. I am currently working on a kid's science book where the publisher absolutely forbids beginning a sentence with however or therefore, but is okay with using and, or, or but to break up sentences and make them shorter to match the desired reading level (grades 5-8).

[Euan H.]

Andre Norton (an SF writer) does this all the time--to the point where I find it marginally irritating actually--and it didn't seem to do her any harm. You can find some of her books online in the Baen Free Library, which is here:

http://www.baen.com/library/

[Jamesaritchie]

Different publishers have different guidelines, too. I am currently working on a kid's science book where the publisher absolutely forbids beginning a sentence with however or therefore, but is okay with using and, or, or but to break up sentences and make them shorter to match the desired reading level (grades 5-8).

One thing my old English professors drummed into my head was that a sentence should never start with "however," if the word needs set off with a comma. Maybe because of all that drumming, I tend to agree. I believe "however" belongs in the middle of the sentence, and it just looks and sounds wrong at the beginning, at least to me.

"Whoever you do it" is workable. "However, I don't believe many follow this rule" would have gotten me kicked out of class.

[reph]

"[However] you do it" is workable. "However, I don't believe many follow this rule" would have gotten me kicked out of class.
Those are completely different "however"s. The "don't begin a sentence..." rule has never applied to the first kind.

That rule has long since hit the discard heap anyway. I used this as a usage tip last month:

"When the word 'however' is properly placed in a sentence it throws
contrasting emphasis on what precedes it" (Theodore Bernstein, The
Careful Writer). "However" goes between the two statements to be
contrasted. Accordingly, if two sentences present the contrasting
statements, "however" should begin the second of them.

Mr. Bernstein's book was copyrighted in 1965.

[KTC]

So what if I want to start a sentence with one of these words. And I do think it's a style thing. But I can tell you some people won't like it. Or at least not completely agree with it.

[rhymegirl]

So you want to know if it's okay to start a sentence with and, but, or, or so. And you want to know if other people do it, too? But you might not be online right now to hear the answer. Or perhaps you are online, but you're busy reading the Master of Your Own Domain thread.

[Jamesaritchie]

That rule has long since hit the discard heap anyway. I used this as a usage tip last month:

"When the word 'however' is properly placed in a sentence it throws
contrasting emphasis on what precedes it" (Theodore Bernstein, The
Careful Writer). "However" goes between the two statements to be
contrasted. Accordingly, if two sentences present the contrasting
statements, "however" should begin the second of them.

Mr. Bernstein's book was copyrighted in 1965.

Yep, and I like your usage tip. It makes perfect sense. But you know how it is. When a rule is driven into you head often enough and hard enough by college professors, you never again feel right about violating that rule.

"However" at the beginning of a sentence just comes across as looking wrong to me, and I know it's because of those dang professors. I've tried to modify my writing according to the times in every area possible, but I still can't bring myself to start a sentence with "However/comma," even when I know it follows proper usage, as with your tip.

[reph]

Yep, and I like your usage tip....

"However" at the beginning of a sentence just comes across as looking wrong to me, and I know it's because of those dang professors....I still can't bring myself to start a sentence with "However/comma," even when I know it follows proper usage....
Thank you. I have no trouble starting with "However." Actually, I don't remember being told not to. The one I can't stand is "Also,..."

To clarify things for people newer to writing who haven't encountered so many fine points of usage, just as there are two "however"s, there are two "also"s. You can say "Also speaking at the rally were Wally Whosis, Sally Somebody, and...." It isn't smooth, but it isn't incorrect. You can't say "Also, representatives of the Free Lunch Club spoke at the rally."

[Roger J Carlson]

I start sentences with conjunctions frequently in dialog because that's how people speak. I also find I do it a lot here on the boards. I suppose that's because the writing here is more like talking. But I avoid it as much as possible in narrative or exposition unless the two independent clauses are themselves so complex that the sentence is hard to follow. Mostly, I try to find a different way to say it. One that doesn't require the conjunction.

The "rule" I have the most trouble breaking is: ending a sentence with a preposition. I know there's no real reason for not doing so, but it irritates me nonetheless. Another K-12 imprinting I suppose. I used to be quite proud of never ending my sentences in a preposition, yet I have recently begun forcing myself to do it in my writing.

"That's the only one I know of."

may be wrong by that rule, but

"That's the only one of which I know."

is too stilted for modern audiences -- especially in fiction.

[Mike Martyn]

Yep, and I like your usage tip. It makes perfect sense. But you know how it is. When a rule is driven into you head often enough and hard enough by college professors, you never again feel right about violating that rule.

......

The rules of grammar were beaten into me with a stick to the backside when I was a kid, which may be worse. However, now that I write fiction, I violate them with wild abandon as revenge against the good Father Sargeant, wielder of the stick in question.

The useage tip is a good one.

Another rule of grammar that has fallen by the wayside is the use of "to". As in "To boldly go where no man has gone before".

The correct usage is "boldly to go" which no longer sounds right courtesy of Star Trek.

[James D. Macdonald]

Another rule of grammar that has fallen by the wayside is the use of "to". As in "To boldly go where no man has gone before".


That's called the "split infinitive," and is a rule made up by the 18th century grammarians who seemed to be unaware that English isn't Latin. You're free to ignore that one.

[Mike Martyn]

That's called the "split infinitive," and is a rule made up by the 18th century grammarians who seemed to be unaware that English isn't Latin. You're free to ignore that one.

Indeed, the split infinitive. I'm sure it will not surprise you that the good Father Sargeant also taught Latin. Still and all, for me, it made the introduction to the original Star Trek painful to watch.http://absolutewrite.com/forums/images/icons/icon9.gif

[Jamesaritchie]

The rules of grammar were beaten into me with a stick to the backside when I was a kid, which may be worse. However, now that I write fiction, I violate them with wild abandon as revenge against the good Father Sargeant, wielder of the stick in question.

The useage tip is a good one.

Another rule of grammar that has fallen by the wayside is the use of "to". As in "To boldly go where no man has gone before".

The correct usage is "boldly to go" which no longer sounds right courtesy of Star Trek.

That one never did sound right, and wasn't even taught in my day. Or I should say we were taught that sometimes it's a good rule, and sometimes it's a bad rule, and that you had to use common sense when applying it.

I believe this is true. There are times when splitting an infinitive asunder is a very bad idea, but there are other times when doing so is the only proper choice.

[Jamesaritchie]

However, now that I write fiction, I violate them with wild abandon as revenge against the good Father Sargeant, wielder of the stick in question.



I'm afraid they were beaten into me too deeply to be easily removed. Even in fiction, I try to stick with the rules unless I have a very tgood reason for breaking them.

For the most part, I think using the rules, even in fiction, makes for much better writing. Break them when there's a good reason, but stick with them otherwise.