Can you start a sentence with but Chicago?

Can you start a sentence with but Chicago?

According to The Chicago Manual of Style, the belief that beginning a sentence with and, but, or so is an error “has no historical or grammatical foundation.” Not only that, but “a substantial percentage (often as many as 10 percent) of the sentences in first-rate writing begin with conjunctions. Writing is a craft.

Is it unprofessional to start a sentence with but?

Is it acceptable to begin a sentence with the word and or but? The answer is yes. It is perfectly acceptable to start sentences with the conjunctions and and but. However, it is slightly informal.

Is it proper to start a sentence with but?

There’s no rule against beginning a sentence with but. Sure, it’s a wise admonition from middle-school English teachers that novice writers avoid beginning a series of sentences with but. In July we went to Six Flags. But it rained that day.

Can you start a sentence with but in college?

It’s okay to start a sentence with “but.” We know your English teacher likely told you in fifth grade that you should never start a sentence with “but.” BUT, on college essays, you sure can! It still should be a well structured essay but there’s no need to write like you’re writing a college thesis.

Is it OK to start a sentence with a year?

Writers tend to be more comfortable with starting a sentence with a year. If you don’t feel this way, simple add the phrase “The year” or reword. 1984 was a good example.

Can you start a sentence with and in journalism?

No journalist will write a hard news article containing a sentence that starts with “and.” It’s grammatically wrong.

How can I use but in a sentence?

“I want to go to the party, but I am so tired.” “I like her, but I don’t like her friend.” “I studied for the test, but I don’t think I did well.” “I’m hungry, but I have nothing to eat.”

Can you start a lesson with but?

Almost all modern grammar guides agree that it is OK to start a sentence with ‘and’ or ‘but. ‘ But most of us have been taught at some point that this is wrong.

Do you need a comma after in 2020?

Presuming the question is about a year used with a month and day, as in January 12, 2020, the answer is yes. Being at the start of a sentence does not cause an exception to the rule about surrounding the year with commas when it is used in apposition to a month and day. On January 12, 2020, I have a paper due.

Do you need comma after year?

If you have the month-date-year format, a comma is always required after the year. If you just have a month and a year or a month and a day, using commas after dates depends on context: Correct: Our wedding in April 1993 was beautiful. Incorrect: Our wedding in April 1993, was beautiful.

Can you start a sentence with “and but but or so”?

You’ll also find examples in Swift (1667-1745), Johnson (1709-1784), Austen (1775-1817), Dickens (1812-1870), Orwell (1903-1950), and Roth (1933-). According to The Chicago Manual of Style, the belief that beginning a sentence with and, but, or so is an error “has no historical or grammatical foundation.”

Who is the first writer to start a sentence with “and”?

Writers of English have been beginning sentences with and as long as English has been written. The Venerable Bede (672-735) did it. King Alfred (849-899) did it.

Should you start a sentence with a conjunction?

Teachers, on the other hand (and editors working with grammatically challenged adults) are wise to advise against it. Writing is a craft. Every craft demands that beginners learn in stages. A rule against beginning a sentence with a conjunction has pedagogical usefulness. Beginning writers benefit from being guided.

What is Daisy Ashford’s rule for beginning sentences?

Her rule was intended to be transitional. Beginning writers overuse the conjunction and. Giving inexperienced writers permission to begin sentences with and is asking for trouble. Here, for example, is an excerpt from the writing of nine-year-old Daisy Ashford:

author

Back to Top