Starting Sentences with Conjunctions

Can you use conjunctions like ‘but’ and ‘and’ at the start of a sentence? That is one of the most common controversies in the English language. Some language experts state it is normal to start a sentence with a conjunction; others state that it is not good for writing. So, where is the truth?

While your high school teachers may disapprove of using coordinating conjunction like 'and' or 'but’ at the beginning of a sentence, it's perfectly OK. It can be beneficial to your text and create a smooth flow in your writing.

Starting sentences with ‘and,’ ‘but,’ or any other kind of conjunction is perfectly acceptable. However, you may come into people who believe that beginning a sentence with a conjunction is incorrect, so think about your audience while choosing how to word your sentences. Consider the following example:

✔️ Many people think that agoraphobia is just a fear of open spaces. But it’s a more complex condition.

The use of a period to separate these lines highlights the contrast provided by the conjunction ‘but.’ However, such a writing style is not for everyone. A comma can also be used to connect these sentences:

✔️ Many people think that agoraphobia is just a fear of open spaces, but it is a more complex condition.

What Is a Conjunction?

A conjunction is a name for the part of speech that is used to join two words, phrases, clauses, or sentences. Some conjunctions give information on contrast, time, causality, and conditional – and that are the four basic purposes they fulfill. The three main types of conjunctions include: coordinating, subordinating, and correlative conjunctions.

When to Begin a Sentence with a Conjunction

The use of a conjunction at the beginning of a sentence can create a different feel for a reader. It is up to you, the essay writer, to decide when to use a conjunction. Conjunctions can serve as a great tool to add dramatic emphasis to your writing but do not overdo it or your work will become unstructured and dramatic.

In your eagerness to start a sentence with a conjunction, first, think of the purpose of your sentence. To make a dramatic point, you may want to break the sentences. And if you are not trying to make a point and your ideas are closely related, linking the sentences with a comma is a better option.

Here is an example:

❌ My sister wanted to go and see the movies. But our brother wanted to go to a music festival.

Both sentences are correct grammatically. However, because the concepts are so closely related, it makes more sense to combine them into a single sentence:

✔️ My sister wanted to go and see the movies, but our brother wanted to go to a music festival.

What are coordinating conjunctions?

‘But’ and ‘and’ belong to a group of words known as coordinating conjunctions. These conjunctions link two or more equal grammatical structures together. The words and, but, or, yet, so, nor, and for are the seven coordinating conjunctions. Each one helps to establish a particular logical relation.

Example:

✔️ I did not like her attitude, and I told her so.

There are two independent clauses in this example sentence. An independent clause has a subject and a verb that form a complete sentence and can stand alone to express a complete thought.

Example:

✔️ He claimed to be a well-known French actor, but I think he is joking.

In this example, we can see that two independent clauses are joined by the coordinating conjunction ‘but’. Another important point is that coordinating conjunctions join grammatically equal structures. Such conjunctions indicate that structures or ideas in the sentence are of equal weight or relevance.

Can you begin a sentence with a conjunction like ‘and’ or ‘but’?

Starting a sentence with ‘and,’ or, ‘but,’ or any other coordinating conjunction is acceptable. These conjunctions link words for equivalent words, phrases, clauses, or sentences.

Take a look at these examples:

• ✔️ salt and sugar
• ✔️ green apples and yellow pears
• ✔️ Jude wanted to read another chapter, but she was already late for school.

Coordinating conjunction comes at the beginning of a sentence when it joins two sentences.

Example:

✔️ Jude wanted to read another chapter to manage her anxiety. But she was already late for school, and her parents would be mad if she had skipped her classes.

Conjunction like ‘and’ or ‘but’ can also be used to connect the initial sentence of a paragraph to the last sentence of the preceding one. It is also a good idea to start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction to underline the link or contrast between sentences.

Formal and Informal Writing

If you are debating on whether you should start a sentence with a conjunction or not – always think of your audience first. Often conjunctions at the beginning of sentences create a dramatic feel to it, so this is a good thing for a writer to pick up if they want to make an emphasis on something. Always ask yourself: would this writing style be appropriate for that specific case?