The sentence-starts tag has no wiki summary.
25
votes
10answers
3k views
Can a sentence start with “Because”?
In my grade school days, I recall a teacher proclaiming to the class:
You should never start a sentence with the word "Because".
Of course, I've since seen lots of examples to the contrary, and ...
21
votes
7answers
3k views
Is it acceptable to start a sentence with “however”?
I have heard that starting a sentence with however is wrong. What are the grounds for this view and is it still held by a majority of pedants?
They would suggest changing
However, some people are ...
20
votes
2answers
3k views
How do you capitalize a proper noun such as “iPhone”?
I was always taught to capitalize the first letter of the first word in a sentence, and also the first letter of proper nouns. In the last few years it's been common for certain firms to name their ...
20
votes
6answers
605 views
Is there any valid rule discouraging the use of a certain word to start a sentence?
Is there any rule you think is valid that discourages the use of a certain word to start a sentence?
Because I suspect the answer is no.
But it would be good to have a blanket answer to this kind of ...
18
votes
3answers
5k views
When a sentence starts with “e.g.”, should the e be capitalized?
When a sentence starts with e.g., should the e be capitalized?
Neverminding that it might be better to start with "For example," ... Thinking of SE posts and comments, should the starting e be ...
16
votes
4answers
871 views
Usage of “And” in the beginning of a sentence
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 ...
15
votes
8answers
5k views
Is it poor form to start too many sentences with I?
I often find myself writing a lot of comments to blog posts and responses on forums, and have noticed a tendency to start a lot of sentences with 'I'. 'I think...', 'I had no idea', 'I used to...' ...
14
votes
5answers
3k views
Is it really incorrect to start a sentence with “and”?
I know it's wrong, but I do it all the time or else my sentences would go on forever.
13
votes
3answers
2k views
Starting an independent statement with “I mean, …”
A friend was noting that his daughter would occasionally start sentences with the phrase "I mean, " simply for emphasis, not for clarification:
Friend: How was the Miley Cyrus concert?
...
12
votes
7answers
13k views
Can “hence” be used at the beginning of a sentence?
Can the word ‘hence’ be used at the beginning of a sentence? For example:
Hence, I am not feeling well, I am unable to work.
11
votes
2answers
1k views
Can “anyways” be used at the beginning of a sentence?
For example, is it acceptable to say “Anyways, I love Stack Exchange" or should "anyway" always be used?
10
votes
4answers
364 views
Why am I always compelled to begin a response with “Well, ”?
Because of a certain 140 character limit I've learned where I can trim characters on responses but even after all this time I still reply with "Well, so and so . . ." and I go back and have to delete ...
9
votes
3answers
9k views
Is it wrong to start sentences with “in which case”?
I read a few things someone wrote and for the first time I saw a sentence starting with "in which case". This person does that very frequently, and it seemed really wrong to me.
Some time after that ...
8
votes
7answers
4k views
When did the word “so” begin to be used to start a sentence?
In the last few years, I've noticed a growing usage of the word "so" to begin a sentence, especially in the context of higher education.
For example:
Interviewer: "What is the nature of your ...
8
votes
3answers
7k views
Sentences beginning with “so”?
This also came up on either a BBC or CBC science program, but not as a linguistically-oriented discussion.
Over the last two or three years I've noticed a lot more people starting a sentence with ...
8
votes
2answers
7k views
Can a sentence starting with “While, …” be grammatically correct?
I have a colleague who often writes sentences in the form "While, [these circumstances would make X seem unlikely to be the case], [these other circumstances show that X is in fact the case].
For ...
7
votes
7answers
4k views
Is it correct to start a sentence with 'also'?
Is it correct to start a sentence with 'also'?
Also, I had given him the file you sent me.
7
votes
3answers
9k views
Starting sentence with “indeed” to complete previous statement
Is it correct to add a sentence that starts with indeed in order to complete a previous statement? For example,
The political crisis has a negative influence on the economy.
Indeed, foreign ...
7
votes
1answer
502 views
Is it okay to start a sentence with a Greek letter (variable)?
Is it okay to start a sentence with a variable? Do I need to rewrite a sentence just because the subject is typeset as a Greek letter?
For example:
Φ is treated in a special way.
vs.
...
6
votes
3answers
615 views
Is it proper to start a sentence with the word that ended the last sentence?
For example:
Instead, you’ll use a higher-level model called ASP.NET AJAX. ASP.NET AJAX gives you a set of server-side components and controls that you can use when designing your web page.
This ...
5
votes
1answer
645 views
When is it correct to start a sentence with a participial phrase?
Spending an hour in the beauty salon, Melissa got a facial with a steam mist.
Are there cases where starting with a participial phrase is not correct?
3
votes
5answers
1k views
Is it acceptable to begin a declarative sentence with “Am”?
I want to know firstly if it's grammatically correct to start a declarative sentence with "Am". For example:
Am excited about the game today.
Secondly, if it is grammatically incorrect, then I ...
3
votes
3answers
628 views
“Already” at the beginning of a sentence
Is it considered good form to use the word already at the beginning of a sentence? For instance:
Already in 1930, certain people were watching television in their homes.
I have seen it used in ...
3
votes
3answers
481 views
Is it a good idea to begin a sentence with a number or a variable name?
Is it acceptable to have the following sentences in formal writing?
2.5 years have already been completed.
or
n shows the number of something.
3
votes
4answers
493 views
Starting a sentence with “Starting with”
When you want to summarize a list of items, can you use "Starting with" at the beginning of a sentence in order to explain the first item?
For example, is the following grammatically correct?
I ...
3
votes
3answers
4k views
Are “should” and “if” interchangeable at the beginning of a sentence? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
A special use of “should”?
If "should" comes at the beginning of a sentence, and the sentence is not a question, then can it be replaced with "if?" Is there any ...
2
votes
6answers
1k views
“Due to” at the beginning of a sentence
I tried to say this:
Due to it will have less features than the actual standard system, the performance will be better.
Basically, I used a sentence after due to, and one of my English friends ...
2
votes
4answers
2k views
Can I start a sentence with “i.e.”?
While writing a rhetorical question I ran into a case where it seemed natural to start a sentence with "I.e":
How do we handle the case when the list is empty? I.e., if the filter matched no ...
2
votes
3answers
2k views
Can I start a sentence with “Whereas”?
The sentence is supposed to be contradicting a previous situation explained thoroughly in the precedent paragraph. The contradiction is on the same subject (in the past/now). Can the sentence be ...
2
votes
2answers
707 views
Must conditional sentences begin with “if?”
I've been looking at conditional sentences (conditional clauses).
Every example I've see is along the lines of, "if [x] then [y]."
I've seen alternatives/substitutes for the if part:
were I ...
2
votes
2answers
649 views
Capitalising a sentence whose first word is explicitly lowercase [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Capitalization of names that begin lowercased, at the beginning of a sentence
Let's say that you have a word that should be typed with leading lowercase letter. Perhaps ...
2
votes
1answer
523 views
“For how long have you been…” vs. “how long have you been…”
Ante-scriptum: The question should be quite a frequently arising one, so this might be a duplicate. If it is, I haven't found it previously asked here
I don't know if the title is meaningful, but ...
2
votes
1answer
261 views
Is the sentence “As though Bill Donohue didn’t have enough to be cranky about” self-complete?
I’m a regular reader of New York Times columnist, Maureen Dowd’s column, which provides me with lot of input of contemporary English expressions that I cannot learn from ordinary English text books ...
2
votes
4answers
405 views
Capitalizing a lower case screen name at the beginning of a sentence
When starting a sentence with a lower case pseudonym, such as a screen name of a user account on a website, should it be capitalized? Or are there different cases where it would and would not be ...
2
votes
2answers
829 views
How to avoid starting sentence with “And” and “But”? [closed]
A lot of times my sentences start with "And" and "But" and they tend to run long. I read a lot of news articles and blogs and have not seen many sentences starting with conjunctions, but I don't seem ...
2
votes
2answers
3k views
Verb+ing as a verb beginning a sentence
Is this good English?
Falling into the ocean, the drop dies as a drop, but not as water.
Or should I say:
When it falls into the ocean, the drop dies...
2
votes
0answers
33 views
What is the correct capitalization of code examples when beginning a sentence? [duplicate]
I am writing a technical book and a lot of it is structured as explanations of code examples.
For instance:
var links = data.map(function (d) {
return {source: nick_id(d.from),
...
2
votes
1answer
55 views
Is it ok if I start an opinion composition with the word 'Indeed'?
I was just wondering, is it's OK to begin an opinion composition with the word 'Indeed' in the first sentence? For example:
Indeed I believe people's consumerism is one of the main causes for our ...
1
vote
2answers
461 views
Beginning sentences with a needless “So”. How did this scourge become so popular? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When did the word “so” begin to be used to start a sentence?
Garbage/stuff words
So many folks begin some narrative with "So". I see it everywhere ...
1
vote
3answers
252 views
Is it grammatical to omit the subject from “I did my work”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is it acceptable to begin a declarative sentence with “Am”?
Is it correct to start a sentence with did.
Did my work.
instead of
I did my work.
...
1
vote
1answer
133 views
Is it correct to start a sentence with “with” in English?
Is it correct to use with at the beginning of a sentence?
Here's an example sentence:
With the development of the economy, living standards improved.
To my eyes this looks unnatural; I would ...
1
vote
2answers
2k views
Starting a sentence with 'About your question, …'
I have noticed myself often starting a sentence like this:
About your drawing question, I don't think there is an easy way to draw these shapes.
Is it formal to start a sentence that way (formal ...
1
vote
1answer
222 views
“Yet” at the beginning of a sentence
Can one use "Yet" at the beginning of a sentence as follows?
Yet, he came late.
Is this grammatical?
1
vote
1answer
60 views
Is it correct to start a sentence with “Ad question one…”?
I'm pretty sure I've read "Ad question one..." in the sense of "Addressing question one..." before, but the only usage on the web I find is by someone with a Hispanic name and m-w.com doesn't seem to ...
1
vote
1answer
86 views
How to avoiding starting with “it is”? [closed]
I have a sentence fragment I must make into a sentence:
Late August at the Los Angeles Zoo.
I use this sentence to begin a story. I really do not want to use “it is” though, because “it is” ...
1
vote
1answer
549 views
Can I start a sentence with “because”, whether I am answering a question, or giving a sample of an idea? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Can a sentence start with “Because”
I would like to know if the next sentence is right:
"Because in this case, both are spelled the same way"
1
vote
2answers
122 views
Can I start a text with “While”?
I know it’s OK to start sentences with While, but is it OK to start a text with it? For example:
While electron-electron correlations and interactions are crucial in the descriptions of atoms and ...
1
vote
1answer
116 views
Acceptability of the phrase “While yet others” in formal English
Is it acceptable to use the phrase "While yet others" at the start of a sentence in formal English? Are there any alternative phrases that I could use?
To put this into context, I wish to write ...
1
vote
1answer
984 views
Use of a comma after “during” at the beginning of a sentence [closed]
What is the rule regarding the use of a comma when the word "during" appears at the beginning of a sentence?
During church the child whimpered incessantly.
During church, the child ...
1
vote
1answer
440 views
“Upon” at the very beginning of a sentence
Can a sentence begin with upon? Or should it be changed to on?
For example:
Upon a decrease in temperature... [Is this grammatical?]
On a decrease in temperature... [What about this?]
