"But breathing, too, is not necessarily easy. You seem to be using "as," to substitute for the conjunction, "because," at least in the first instance.In that case, it is generally OK to start a sentence with "as," particularly in informal writing. Language Myths and Bogus Rules of Writing, How to Begin a Sentence With 'And' or 'But'. Lost time is never found again. But . Poppycock! Every one I’ve heard so far is bunk. Incorrect: The puppy was cute. Old shoes will serve a hero longer than they have served his valet--if a hero ever has a valet--bare feet are older than shoes, and he can make them do. More reading: When To Use A Comma Before Or After But A kind word is never lost. 2. It just so happens that the first letter of the word a is a. Dictionary ... You can never imagine how I felt when I stood in the presence of Niagara until you have the same mysterious sensations yourself. The idea that you shouldn't begin a sentence with a conjunction is one of those "rules" that really isn't — along with some others you've probably heard, like "never split an infinitive" and "don't end a sentence … The main clause can come first or last; if it comes last, you need a comma. Note that these time expressions are normally used with a perfect verb form or modal auxiliary verbs. (John Updike, Self-Consciousness: Memoirs, 1989) William Zinsser acknowledges that many students "have been taught that no sentence should begin with but. Example sentences with the word never. But, maybe you really feel like one should go there. Can you start a sentence with the letter A? This isn’t the only grammar prohibition asserting you can’t start a sentence with a certain word or type of word. A company can adopt a standardized approach or an internal models approach, with the former generally leading to much higher capital charges and the latter requiring regulatory approval. So when someone tells you not to start a sentence with a conjunction, say: "But I've already done it." "Maybe" is an adverb which means "perhaps", "possibly", which you surely can start a sentence with. Don’t start a sentence with a proper noun that is explicitly lowercase. * If at first you don’t succeed, try again. No sooner had I closed the door than somebody knocked. 3. : I never eat meat. Vain glory blossoms but never bears. This type of use must always see the word followed by a comma, even in the middle of sentences. Be vague Leaving your first impression open to interpretation is risky. Is It Wrong to End a Sentence With a Preposition? It is one of those physical acts on the edge of thought; it can be conscious or unconscious." If you are using "the" repeatedly, it probably means you are always writing sentences which start … . Negative Adverbials. 6. At the start of every semester, I invite my first-year students to recall any rules of writing they learned in school. It is impossible to say that something isnever done or is always correct or wrong. If you begin your article with an irrelevant sentence, you’re likely to lose readers. Only then did I understand what the problem was. Firstly, has it ever been wrong to begin a sentence with and or but? Only after her death was I able to understand her. 3. Not only can you start sentences with a conjunction, but you must—if you want to become a good writer, that is. * If wishes were horses, even beggars would ride. Hardly had I arrived when trouble started. Note that these time expressions are normally used with a perfect verb form or modal auxiliary verbs. : Do you ever drink coffee? They think you can’t handle the freedom of using conjunctions! And every one of those so-called rules is bogus. Exceptions are the verb be and modal verbs (can, etc.). A partial idea makes the sentence a tail without a dog. So strange was the situation that I couldn’t understand anything. never example sentences. What Is a "Split Infinitive" and What's Wrong With It? "There is really no reason why a human being should do more than eat, drink, sleep, breathe, and procreate; everything else could be done for him by machinery. If you’ve ever been angry at a teacher who kept your whole class in from recess because two or three of your classmates were misbehaving, you should have a big problem with this rationale for not beginning a sentence with a conjunction. We generally use ever in questions. Sure, there may be a lot of background and contextual information to cover in your paper, but save that: the first sentence is where you need to nail the topic, not talk around it. There is a reason why we don't usually start sentences with "but". Little did she realize the danger she faced. 3. You are allowed to start a sentence with 'however. It is also acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition. You should never start a sentence with the words “and” or “but” – never. And, you would be wrong. When a sentence begins with a negative adverbial like never, rarely or seldom, the auxiliary verb comes before the subject. Scarcely had I closed my eyes when the doorbell rang. . Sentences Menu. So, there is nothing wrong in starting with "maybe" either. But here’s the thing. Why You Should Never Use the Word “Obviously” One of our core values at Atomic is Teach and Learn. There isn’t - and never has been - anything wrong with starting a sentence with a conjunction. When you use a conjunction at the start of a sentence, it makes much more of an impact. Little did I understand the gravity of the situation. 'Many usages guides have tried to restrict the usage of "however," suggesting it cannot start a sentence, be used with "but," or replace "nevertheless," but none of these guides can agree and there is ample historical evidence of "however" being used at the start of a sentence. (With the exception of a contracted word that uses an apostrophe.) Dear students and teachers: Please make sure you subscribe to the free grammar updates, English Practice – Learn and Practice English Online. Is It Always Wrong to End a Sentence With a Preposition? Answer: Yes. Comments Off on OK, so never start a sentence with these 10 words ... playing a mental drinking game based on taking a sip every time you say “so” and downing the whole glass every time you begin a sentence with the word “so” — and they’re hammered in 5 minutes — you might want to face the problem. How to use never in a sentence. 5. A coordinating conjunction is a word that we use to connect or join words, phrases and clauses that are related or are logical equals.They are:ForAndNorButOrYetSoThey are easy to remember because they create the acronym, FANBOYS.But can you start sentences with these words? Have you ever been to Paris? The first letter at the start of a sentence should be capitalized. I never drink tea with milk. Usually, “because” goes in between the two clauses, so if we start a sentence with “because” there is often only one clause in the sentence. That rules out starting sentences with either “and” or “but” when writing. Many translations of the Bible are filled with sentence-initial ands and buts, and they even may be found in some of our more beloved—and prescriptive—usage guides. : Never = 'at no time'. Ever, never: Ever = 'at any time'. Do you ever go cycling? Note that inversion is mainly used when the sentence begins with a negative word. The original question is: > Is it proper to start a sentence with the word If? ... starting off a sentence this way can make you sound weak. * If you have to explain a joke, it wasn’t funny. Here, according to my students, are the top five words that should never assume first place in a sentence. Answer: "The" is not an incorrect word to use to start a sentence but you never want to use the same word over and over because it makes your sentences sound repetative and not as professional.