Another annoying grammar question...?

Question

Love is always acceptable, no matter what kind it is. If you click on Arts & Humanities/Poetry, you'll be amazed. But it won't give you much of a clue.

In the above paragraph-type thing, is it acceptable to use 'but' to begin a whole separate sentence? I mean, in school, they stressed that it was incorrect to begin a sentence with a conjunction. But I use them a lot to begin sentences. And I've even seen them in great literary works. So what is the verdict?

You CAN start a sentence with 'because.'
Because she was out of milk, Elaine had to go back to the store.

Answer 1

I've often explained to groups of people that language usage has several levels. Let's see, now: 1) Street level, used with very close friends. 2) Casual conversation, for example, the way you'd speak to your parents. 3) Formal speech, used to address a group of people, say, from a podium. These levels apply to written language as well. Since this is an informal site, the use of a conjunction is acceptable, if not literary. However, you're correct that you've seen such things in literary works. Because that's the way people speak. So, once again, circumstances rule! One more clue to language and linguistics.

Answer 2

In my grammatically-superior opinion, it is absolutely unacceptable to start a sentence with a conjunction (but). However, we do this so much casually that it may seem strange to not be able to do it for school, work, or for whatever reason you are writing this paragraph.

No comma is necessary after the word Poetry. However, a comma should appear before a conjunction that is in the middle of a sentence only if the phrase following the conjunction could not stand as a sentence on its own (would be a fragment-as my husband said in a previous post...a few above this one). It should read:

If you click on Arts & Humanities/Poetry you'll be amazed, but it won't give you much or a clue.

You're right, this mistake can be found in lots of literature nowadays and even from the past, but I don't think that makes it right. Perhaps one day grammatical rules will be modified to fit what people actually DO, but for now, I like following the rules, so I have to stick by them.

Answer 3

I'm American, and when I read questions with horrible spelling and grammar (and also things like "2" for "to,too" or "nite" instead of "night") I get incredibly annoyed. I just sit there thinking "did no one teach these kids to read/write/speak?" But after reading this, my opinion has changed a little bit. While people say that there are correct and incorrect ways of speaking each and every language, the fact is cultures change, people change, and therefore languages change. Language can tell us so much about a person and the time that they lived, so maybe it is unfair to say that everyone needs to use the same vocabulary, sentence structure, and pronunciation. I guess it should come down to this; speak the way that makes sense to you and those around you, but have an understanding of proper grammar for the times when it might come in handy (i.e. court?). P.S. I thought this was hilarious, maybe you should tackle writing. If I were you, I'd ignore grammar in my writing, your dialect/choice of words/poor grammar gives the piece a very real voice, one a reader can readily identify with.

Answer 4

It's much better to combine your two related ideas with a semicolon:

"In school, they stressed that it was incorrect to begin a sentence with a conjunction; but I use them a lot to begin sentences."

You make the same point, but without the awkwardness of stopping and re-starting your thoughts by using two consecutive sentences.

Answer 5

This retired English professor says it's perfectly all right to begin a sentence with "and" or "but"--or any other co-ordinating conjunction--as long as you don't overdo it. True, the King James Bible features long series of sentences beginning with "and," but it was translated almost 400 years ago.

Answer 6

Technically speaking, the sentence "But it won't give you much of a clue" is a fragment. By the strictest of grammar rules, it's a no-no. Yet even those that allow the slightest bending of the rules seem to be okay with this common literary device (I did it just now - did you catch it?).

Answer 7

I was taught many years ago not to begin sentences with the word 'And'. A while back I read that it was now acceptable. I don't remember the source, but I do remember thinking it to be a reputable source at the time. And if 'And' is acceptable, I don't see why 'But' would not be.

Answer 8

Instead of starting the sentence with the word "But", I wouldn't use the word at all. I would use the word "however".

"....you'll be amazed; however, it won't give you much of a clue."

Answer 9

It's okay to use once in a while, but don't make a regular habit of it. Most grammatical rules have some exceptions (even if the teachers don't always tell you what they are) and if it's good enough for Shakespeare, then it's good enough for you.

Answer 10

SHHH, English instructors would kill me for telling you this. In Journalism, that rule is bent so far back that there is no way it can stand upright. In Journalism cases, because space requires brevity in the field, it's acceptable. I can't stand that either, but I respect your love of doing it.