Words you should NOT start sentences with

Where did you read that advice?

I agree with 'BUT' and 'AND'. These are conjunctions and conjunctions join parts of a sentence together. They don't start sentences.

It seems to me that not using a pronoun to start a sentence silly. (See I just used 'it' at the start of a sentence and it's perfectly good grammar). There it is, shoot me. Here I started a sentence with 'there' and followed it with the pronoun 'it). I must be bound for hell, for sure.

There's one place where the conjunction rule goes out the window--in dialogue. There, if I use it to denote character traits through how the speaker speak, I am using a broked rule wisely. It's just how I feel about it.

Regards,
Scott

I start sentences with "and" and "but" all the time. But my writing tends to be more casual and conversational, I guess. And I like to break the rules.

Many, but not all, sentences beginning It is or There are are often weak and benefit from re-writing. I try to avoid these beginnings.

It is important that parents feed their children.
Feeding children is an important responsiblity of parents.

There are many difficuties in finding an honest agent.
Finding an honest agent is difficult.

All of the words you mentioned can begin a sentence. In formal writing, And, But, and Because are frowned upon. But, for fiction conjunctions are acceptable.

'It is' and 'There are' are weak but if it works for the sentence, leave it.

Rules are meant to be broken... but you need to know what they are before you break them...
10000

smiley10000 said:

All of the words you mentioned can begin a sentence. In formal writing, And, But, and Because are frowned upon. But, for fiction conjunctions are acceptable.

'It is' and 'There are' are weak but if it works for the sentence, leave it.

Rules are meant to be broken... but you need to know what they are before you break them...
10000

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Maybe. But I wonder, do grammatical rules really help an author? I mean we've probably all studied grammar because it's part of what we want to do..but was it necessary for our actual writing?
For instace, let's say there was a guy who'd NEVER studied ANY grammar yet he'd read thousands and thousands of books. He's also spoken English his entire life, in a non-heavyily slanged vernacular. Now is there any real reason he shouldn't be successful if he decides to write his own book someday? (By lack of grammatical knowledge alone, I mean?)

The reason I ask is when I hang around editors or just grammar snobs who are constantly reiterating rules it seeps in and I'll go home and find myself following their rules somewhat unconsciously and a lot of the time I'll go back to that writing and find it kind of flaccid. My rigid adherance to etymology and grammar dousing my creative voice some.

-G

Psh. I start a sentence with whatever word I want to start a goddamned sentence with.

Except however. I'll admit that that's tacky.

But then again, if it fits for rhythmical purposes... have at it.

It's fiction. You can start a sentence with whatever you want.

However, it should be written well.

You can't help but have an 'and' and a 'but' in there sometimes. It's repitition you should worry about more than any kind of "RULE" about what words not to start with.

gwendy85 said:

Can anyone tell me what words should not be used (or avoided at least) at the start of a sentence? So far, I've read that you can't start it with It, There, But, And, However.

Any help? I'm having a hard time trying to sort out my grammatical errors because of this...

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Everything depends on the sentence. There's nothing at all wrong with using "and" or "but" to begin a sentence. All good writers do so on occasion. Like anything else, you don't want to overdo it, but never doing so it just nuts.

"It" and "there" should be used sparingly, but sometimes they're the best choice. The example at the link you posted is a silly one. I doubt any writer would begin such a sentence with "There." But how better can you say "There's more than one way to skin a cat."

"However" is the one I'd be careful about, but even it should be used when needed. But this one does work best in the interior of a sentence.

Re: thread title.

Never end a sentence with a preposition.

That's something up with which I wouldn't put.

Dangling participles stick in my craw, but there is no doubt it's the way we TALK all the time. So when worrying about grammar in what you are writing, if it's inside quotes, don't worry about it IF it sounds right.)

Regards,
Scott

My high school English teacher wouldn't allow us to begin sentences with "there is" or "there are." We were also banned from using "nice." Good old Wild Bill- he was all right.

Preposition, etc

I hate the "never end a sentence with a preposition" rule. THERE are times when you shouldn't, and times when you should, quotation marks aside.

AND as maestrowork alludes, when Churchill, an excellent writer (He won teh Nobel Prize), was called into question for ending a sentence with a preposition, he reportedly said, "That is the sort of errant pedantry up with which I will not put."

He was right. If you have to tie a sentence in knots to follow a rule, it's a bad rule.

Even the split infinitive ruile is a silly one most of the time. It's based on Latin, and in Latin it isn't possible to split an infinitive.

To boldly go no writers have gone before...

boldly

maestrowork said:

To boldly go no writers have gone before...

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Yep, that has to be the most famous splitter out there.

I'll end a sentence with a preposition if I want to. And I'll start sentences with conjunctions. I have also been known to deliberately split an infinitive from time to time.

So there, grammar police!

Jamesaritchie said:

Yep, that has to be the most famous splitter out there.

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And I can't think of a better way to write that sentence...

"To go boldly where no man has gone before..."

Not really.

"To go where no man has gone before boldly..."

Nope.

"Boldly to go where no man has gone before..."

Yikes.

Bold

maestrowork said:

And I can't think of a better way to write that sentence...

"To go boldly where no man has gone before..."

Not really.

"To go where no man has gone before boldly..."

Nope.

"Boldly to go where no man has gone before..."

Yikes.

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I haven't seen a rewrite that worked, and I've seen one that really stretched. "To go, boldly go, where no man has gone before.

Which is, of course, a takeoff of "To ride, boldly ride"

Eldorado by Edgar Allan Poe

Gaily bedight,
A gallant night
In sunshine and in shadow,
Had journeyed long,
Singing a song,
In search of El Dorado.


But he grew old --
This knight so bold --
And -- o'er his heart a shadow
Fell as he found
No spot of ground
That looked like El Dorado.


And, as his strength
Failed him at length,
He met a pilgrim shadow --
"Shadow," said he,
"Where can it be --
This land of El Dorado?"


"Over the Mountains
Of the Moon,
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,"
The shade replied --
"If you seek for El Dorado."

Sure grammar is important. But as writers we have to use it to our advantage to create tone. To do this effectively we need to understand the difference between grammatical correctness and style. Correctness: following the hard and fast rules of grammar, such as spelling. And style: using grammatical tools such as commas and word usage to communicate purpose and/or tone.

Most of you would probably frown when I tell you that as a copywriter I have written business pieces where "And" has started the sentence. But the intent of the piece was to communicate the brand to the reader. In each case, a formally written piece would be true to the company's brand. Think of the difference between a brochure written for IBM versus one written for Apple. Both are formal business communication tools. But each has a very specific and different brand that must be demonstrated in each and every communication.

Correction

Alexenafi said:

In each case, a formally written piece would be true to the company's brand.

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Sorry, should read:

In each case, a formally written piece would NOT BE true to the company's brand.