Usage of “And” in the beginning of a sentence

Question

Since I first learned English, I have been holding this understanding that "and", as a conj. but unlike "but", can only connect two clauses, not two sentences ended with periods.

But recently, I have seen so many prints, either in entertainment or in academia, where "And" is popularly used in the beginning of a sentence. It seems like the author is trying to connect the sentence just right before and the sentence following "And" in some intended meaning which I don't quite get.

I was wondering if I have been wrong all the time, or if there is a new trend that I fail to understand and accept? How to understand such usage of "and" in rigorous English grammar? If I am right, why it is used differently from "but" in terms of what I mentioned at the beginning of this post?

Answer 1

Small children have a particular writing style that teachers often mark as wrong.

We had a field trip. And we went to the zoo. And we saw monkeys. And they were funny. And then we went home. And the bus was noisy.

Nobody thinks that's a well-written story. So the teacher circles all the "And"s and says "don't start a sentence with and". But somehow we all internalize that as a rule for all of life — which it isn't.

Answer 2

It is perfectly all right to begin a sentence with a conjunction. It is a special form of emphasis, used to elevate a clause to a position of more emphasis and importance.

I hold that all beets are red. And I will stick to that belief until you show me a green beet.

We were tired, hungry, and exhausted. But we were home.

It can also be used as a summation of previous statements.

[Blah blah blah ... fairy tale or fable ... blah blah] And that is how the elephant's nose grew into the long trunk it has today.

Answer 3

In these cases, "and" and "but" are grammatically the same. Their purpose is to conjoin two clauses or sentences.

"And" as a conjunction usually communicates that the following clause will agree and perhaps expand the previous one.

I like pickles, and I wish everybody liked pickles.

"But" connotes some contrast or unexpected idea.

I like pickles, but I don't love them.

Stylistically, it is not usually considered good practice to begin sentences with a conjunction because a sentence that would begin with "and" or "but" generally connects well enough with the previous sentence that it should connect to it rather than becoming its independent sentence.

Answer 4

I was taught not to begin a sentence with a conjunction and continue to hold to this rule. It's more stylistic than grammatical but I'd suggest that breaking a subclause of a sentence into an entirely new sentence is poor style. Sentence structure follows a set of rules that are supposed to improve readability and flow. Compare:

I went to the shops and bought some bread.

I went to the shops. And I bought some bread.

Clearly, in this example, the former would be preferred. However, there are many examples of sentences where the sentence would become cumbersome if you tried to avoid the rule for the sake of avoiding the rule.

In conclusion; no grammatical rule should ever be applied for the sake of anything but readability, flow or style. If you're applying rules for the sake of rules then you're doing it wrong.