Thread: Should I just abandon conjunctions at the start of sentences?

I was fine with using them for emphasis. I still am really. But now I'm having this argument with my brother who thinks I should never do this. I linked him to a few articles on the matter and he still doesn't buy it. Should I do it or stick with safety first? The subject never really bothered me till now.

I've seen plenty of cases for and against and all I can really figure out is that it's a matter of preference. Pretty much every book I read does this.

i very occasionally begin a sentence with "For". it gives the line sort of an "ageless" feel. i don't make a habit of it, though.

I wouldn't worry about what he thinks. I start sentences with "and," "but" and "so" for emphasis. Some of my favorite authors do it too. It's a style thing -- a matter of preference. But it's just like anything else, you can over do it. There -- I just did it.

Originally Posted by CroZ

I was fine with using them for emphasis. I still am really. But now I'm having this argument with my brother who thinks I should never do this. I linked him to a few articles on the matter and he still doesn't buy it. Should I do it or stick with safety first? The subject never really bothered me till now.

I've seen plenty of cases for and against and all I can really figure out is that it's a matter of preference. Pretty much every book I read does this.

Sometimes it's annoying, but in many cases (such as the one I've marked in your post) it feels natural. I say it really depends on what tone/style you are going for.

I avoided conjuntions like that since all my english teachers told me to. Now that I use them, I just realized how much easier and better they can be

It's funny, my editor left a heated comment in my manuscript about starting sentences with conjunctions. He said it was wrong and grammatically incorrect. That is true. But (see what I did there?) it's only grammatically incorrect if you're writing an academic paper. I told him I have seen literally hundreds of authors use conjunctions at the start of sentences for impact and emphasis. In creative writing, it isn't wrong. Yes, starting every sentence with a conjunction would get old quick. Used moderately, they can be very handy.

And just remind yourself, it's a Rule 2 thing.



Rule 2: Learn how to break the rules.

I don't even know all the rules. So I'm not all that concerned about breaking them. I couldn't diagram a sentence if my life depended on it. Everything I "know" about grammar I learned by osmosis -- mainly from my family and from reading. I go by what sounds right.

I break writing 'rules' when the effect I'm looking for calls for it. I have yet to have the page burst into flame, or to have a squad of style police knock on my door. If starting a sentence with a conjunction is the best way to convey the thought, or emotion you wish to convey then, by all means, do it. But understand what you are doing, and know why it is needed. That's part of the craft.

Fowler may not like it, but he's been dead a long time; a conjunction at the beginning of a sentence is something up with which he would not put - But then, we no longer write that way.

Hasn't it become so natural? If you notice, every long post in this thread has a sentence which begins with a conjunction.

I do it often, whenever it feels right. Sometimes a comma and then a "but" sounds better. Other times there needs to be that pause from the ending of a sentence and the start of a new one and the "but" still needs to be there. It works.

I probably don't have anything fresh to add to the comments already posted here. But I will say that I tend to agree with most of them. We were typically taught a certain way back when at school and conjuctions at the start of sentences were not allowed. Unless it's for an exam or similar, I'd say go for it. I use them and I like them. Many authors use them too. It may not be grammatically correct but I think it has a place in our world. It can be a great addition when emphasis is needed. Occasional useage is fine I think but I agree about not overdoing it. For me, I find that it just feels right and I know when to use them (or not).

There's formal English and then there is English the way it is spoken and written in the real world.

Formally you should never start sentences with conjunctions. In the real world everyone does it and there is not a darn thing wrong with it.

Originally Posted by CroZ

The subject never really bothered me till now.

It's not really about whether or not this bothers you. It's clearly bothering your brother. For that reason, I think you should keep using them.