Language Test: Answer Key
From this test.
16. True or false: You should never start a written sentence with a coordinating conjunction (such as "and" or "but").
- A. Completely true; there is NO instance in which it is correct to start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction.
- B. Partially true; there are some instances in which starting a sentence with a coordinating conjunction sounds better, but it is still considered incorrect. It should be avoided in formal writing at all costs.
- C. Partially false; sometimes sentences sound better when a start-of-sentence coordinating conjunction is avoided, but it is not strictly incorrect to use them in that position.
- D. Completely false; there is NO instance in which coordinating conjunction use is incorrect at the beginning of a sentence. It's just silly to worry about it.
C is the best answer. This is a really common nitpick scholars and English teachers have been throwing at writers for ages, and yet there seems to be no justification for it. Yes, coordinating conjunctions would logically seem like they should connect parts of sentences together, so beginning a sentence with one does seem to defy common sense. And sometimes it's best to see if a sentence can be rewritten without having to start with a conjunction. However, they can certainly be effectively used without sounding awkward, and are not actually forbidden in any grammar book that I know of. If you ever want a laugh, search for what the Chicago Manual of Style has to say about this.
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