Friday, February 20, 2026

But is it OK to start a sentence with a conjunction?

This grammar myth-busting article might just change your mind about kicking off sentences with conjunctions.
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Is it OK to start a sentence with a conjunction?

This grammar myth-busting article might just change your mind about kicking off sentences with conjunctions.

Conjunctions word concept on cubes

S ome bits of advice are instilled in us from a very young age: Eat your vegetables, look both ways before crossing the street, and, of course, never begin a sentence with a conjunction. The latter comes to us directly from grammar class, but is it really a rule? Nope. In fact, it's merely a suggestion. Starting sentences with a conjunction is perfectly OK in a grammatical sense, and it may even improve your writing.

But let's go back to basics first. A conjunction is a word that connects two clauses of sentences. Subordinating conjunctions ("because," "since," "after," etc.) link independent and dependent clauses. Correlative conjunctions ("either/or," "neither/nor," "such/that," etc.) join together two words or phrases of equal importance. For example: "Either I'm going to eat this sandwich, or I'm going to eat at home." People use both types of conjunctions to start sentences, and nobody bats an eye. The controversy usually arises with a third type: coordinating conjunctions.

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Round Pushpin emoji

Round Pushpin

Meaning: Indicates a small round pushpin, not to be confused with the Pushpin ๐Ÿ“Œemoji.


Evolution: While ๐Ÿ“Œis used more for notices and announcements, ๐Ÿ“is used in map and location contexts. "Drop a pin" is common GPS terminology, and ๐Ÿ“is the perfect representation.


Usage: [Text to a date:] I'll send you the ๐Ÿ“for the dinner res

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

A Moveable Feast

By Ernest Hemingway

In a series of informal, diaristic essays, Hemingway turns his trademark blunt style to Paris and the lives of expatriates like him. I read this book right before going to study abroad in Paris and was drawn to the depictions of the "flรขneur" (wandering) lifestyle. From arguments with Gertrude Stein to meditations on marriage, this memoir endures because it's such a deep view into a famous writer's thoughts.

Julia Rittenberg, Word Smarts Writer

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