Young Writers Society

I try not to start a sentence with And or But, but sometimes I feel I have to do it for effect, although my computer doesn't like me for it.

I think it's ok when you're doing speech, or the sort of "diary" form, something I call "informal first person", which is sloppy anyway, so a few ands and buts aren't going to harm it much.

However if you want your work to be respected and classy, avoid it.

It's accepted now days, as long as you don't over do it. It can really help the flow of prose if used well.

Don't use it in essays or scholarly writing, though.

I think it can work in stories, but as Sureal says, not regularly. If used incredibly sparingly at the right moment, it can have a good effect.

If you're writing as if it's the person's thoughts, direct or indirect, then yes. Perhaps that doesn't make a lot of sense. But it can have a good effect...

I've never had a problem starting a sentence with and or but, just because, that's my style of writing. It's choppy. (see).

So, I think and or but works for certain styles of writing more than others, it all depends on the feel or flow you're trying to establish. Or, at least that's my opinion.

But I could be wrong. ;D

Sureal wrote:It's accepted now days, as long as you don't over do it. It can really help the flow of prose if used well.

Ditto. I use it sometimes, but mostly in poetry. And I'm an amateur poet, so I don't know if it has a good effect or not. -_-

Yeah...occasionally I'll use it in prose, to produce a kind of vague mood. You know?

I deplore starting any sentence with "but." It just looks weird and is subpar. I do start them with "and" but very sparingly when writing stories. I avoid both senarios when writing reports.

I'm reading this book called When you Catch an Adjective, Kill it: the parts of speech for better and/or worse by Ben Yagoda. I suggest it not only for its helpfulness (I'm learning!) and because it is bust-your-sides funny.

The excerpt on beginning with and/but is kind of long though...Otherwise I would type it up. It is seven pages in length (mind the pages are short, but it is still a lot to type up). It talks about how you can start sentences with "but" and they are affective in arguments, but in some cases, are completely wrong. Here is an example from John Kerry during the presidential debates of 2004:

I'm going to get it right for those soldiers, because it's important to Israel, it's important to America, it's important to the world, it's important to the fight on terror. But I have a plan to do it.

This is when starting a sentence with the word but is completely wrong...To summarize the section, it explains how but can be used to start sentences, and work very well for arguments ("but love is tricky" vs. "however, love is tricky", but ends with a witty quote, "Always scratch your but." Of course, by scratch, it means "cut" or "edit out". ^_~


Er, in basic terms... you can start a sentence with "and" or "but" just be sure that it is best in that form, and if editing would make it an even better sentence, quickly do so.

**Moved to Writing Tips**

Okay... now my thoughts?

Do it! It's awesome. We love ands and buts.



No, but seriously, there's a song called, "And I Love Her" and it's so pretty because there's this poetry and then, almost as an afterthought, Paul says, "And I love her."

So yeah. Do it!

i agree with Snoink. I think it's great for effect. we had to read a book in English last semester called "The Lively Art of Writing," and it talked about how "But" in some cases is the only word to use. for example, to be "sophisticated" you would use something like:
She jumped, terrified, as a figure moved in the dark. However, it was only a cat.

THAT is like being gagged with celery. "But" would work somuch better in that case. You have to judge what sounds better.

I say go for it. I think any fiction author would tell you the same.

Technically-grammatically, it's totally incorrect. But that doesn't mean it isn't effective for style (just like this sentence ^_^)

Psh. That's so old-fashioned. If you have a good reason for doing it, and it works, then do it. The rules exist to be broken (but only if they can be broken without harming anyone's sanity or furthering the death of the English language).

^~

Go for it. I agree not to overuse it, and never use it on some formal paper for English, but in a work of fiction, many rules were made to be broken.

I don't agree that this particular rule is obsolete, but it can certainly be ignored in choice occasions.

~GryphonFledgling