The English language is full of rules, such as “Never split an infinitive,” which would drive Captain Kirk nuts, and “Don’t start a sentence with a conjunction.” But why not?
This advice has been handed down for many years, but language is constantly evolving, and this construction is now more widely accepted, particularly in magazines, newspapers, and on the internet. The trick is not to overuse it.
Why is this even an issue?
First, what are conjunctions? They are words that connect clauses, phrases, or words. Examples include “but,” “and,” “since,” “yet,” and many more.
Perhaps the kerfuffle about conjunctions comes from the fact they have well-defined uses. In fact, they are divided into three distinct types: coordinating conjunctions, correlative conjunctions, and subordinating conjunctions.
Coordinating conjunctions are used to join elements of a sentence that are equivalent in importance. An example of this is: “I love my cats, but I hate cleaning the litter box.” The two clauses are joined by the conjunction “but,” which is preceded by a comma.
The most common coordinating conjunctions are “for,” “and,” “nor,” “but,” “or,” “yet,” and “so.” It’s easy to remember them because their first letters form the word FANBOYS, unfortunately.
Next up are correlative conjunctions, which are pairs of words used to join elements of a sentence and illustrate how words, phrases, or ideas within the sentence relate to each other. The most common are “rather/than,” “no sooner/than,” “as many/as,” “both/and,” “not only/but also,” “whether/or,” “such/that,” “neither/nor,” and “either/or.” An example of this construction is: “Not only did he purr loudly, but he also meowed.”
In this example, purring and meowing are common actions of cats, and have equal importance, so the two clauses are connected with correlative conjunctions. A reminder: these conjunctions are always used in pairs.
The third type of conjunctions is subordinating conjunctions, which are used to “tack on” dependent clauses. They always come at the beginning of the clause, and include “after,” “when,” “although,” “while,” “because,” and many more. The subordinating conjunction lets the reader know that the dependent clause amplifies the idea in the main clause, or adds additional information to it.
Also, there are two qualities specific to a dependent clause. First, it is not a complete idea and cannot stand alone, and second it must be paired with an independent clause, one which is a complete thought.
An example of this construction is: “Barnaby the cat isn’t allowed to go outside because he won’t stay in the yard.”
In this example, the independent clause “Barnaby the cat isn’t allowed to go outside” is a complete sentence, but it feels like something is missing, namely why the furry goofball is kept indoors. The dependent clause “because he won’t stay in the yard” answers that question, but it makes no sense unless it is attached to the main idea.
Since grammarians have gone to the trouble of giving writers three different types of conjunctions and explaining how to use them in detail, it seems ungrateful if not downright rude to break the rules and start sentences with them, but it can be done. However, starting too many sentences this way begins to call attention to the device, and can distract a reader.
So why would I use them if they’re distracting?
Using conjunctions to start sentences can work when you want to create a specific feeling or tone. Here are two examples:
“He said he was sorry for yelling at me, but he wasted his breath. I was done.”
“He said he was sorry for yelling at me. But he wasted his breath, I was done.”
Although both sentences are correct, they have a slightly different “feeling.” The second seems a bit harsher and more dramatic than the first version, and has more impact.
Here are two more made-up examples:
“We worked on security for the computer system for hours. Only I kept thinking we’d missed something.”
“We worked on security for the computer system for hours, only I kept thinking we’d missed something.”
The sentences are correct, but the tone is slightly different due to the way the conjunctions are used. The second seems easier to read and understand, while the first is more powerful due to the impact of “Only” beginning the sentence.
How much longer are you going to babble on about this?
Not long. The bottom line is yes, you can start sentences with conjunctions, but use them sparingly or they become distracting to the reader.
If you’d like to put your writing talents with conjunctions to use with a company that pays regularly, provides assignments, and backs you up with a solid team of editors, contact us at Words of Worth and see if you can join our team.