Starting a sentence with "But" or "And"

Question

Hi,

I don't know what this is called, but I want to start sentences with "but" or "and" in my writing. Can I do it like this?:

I would have gone home immediately. But, I lost my objects. And, my friend wanted me to stay behind.

^Is the above GRAMMATICALLY correct, or will I lose points if I submit it in an essay? I don't think they are sentence fragments since I added COMMAS to the prepositions.

Are these sentences correct?:
But I lost my objects, I would have gone home immediately.
But had I not lost my objects, I would not have gone home immediately.
But I lost my objects, or I would have gone home immediately.
And my friend wanted me to stay behind, I lost my objects.
And my friend wanted me to stay behind, but I lost my objects.

What do you think, or is there an official rule?
English's scary in that I never know when I'm using grammar incorrectly.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

ueku I want to start sentences with "but" or "and" in my writing. Can I do it like this?:

No. Do not put a comma after But or And.

uekuwill I lose points if I submit it in an essay?

Yes, you will lose points.
________

You can start a sentence with And or But, but it's not usually done for such short sentences, and it's not done at all in formal writing such as you may have to do in an exam setting.

uekuEnglish is scary

Keep things in perspective. It's not as scary as being chased by a hungry dinosaur.

CJ

Ueku · Answer

Thanks, but one question remains unanswered;

When I start a sentence with but/and, can I combined two sentence fragments with a comma? Like this:
And my friend wanted me to stay behind, but I lost my objects.

Or do I combine one sentence fragment, and one full sentence, with a comma?
And my friend wanted me to stay behind, I lost my objects.

__

In that case, can you give examples of longer sentences starting with but/and?
I know it's informal and I haven't seen it done before, but I still want to know, in case I ever become an author (or some blog writer.)

CalifJim · Answer

uekuAnd my friend wanted me to stay behind, but I lost my objects.

That's OK. It's not 'fragments'.

uekuAnd my friend wanted me to stay behind, I lost my objects.

That's not OK.

uekuI still want to know, in case I ever become an author (or some blog writer.)

The only effective way is to read a lot. Read, read, read. And imitate what you read.

CJ

AlpheccaStars · Answer

uekubut I want to start sentences with "but" or "and" in my writing.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/But?r=66

Usage note:
1. But, like and, is a common transitional word and often begins sentences.

Many journalists and other professional writers start sentences with "but" or "and." But you have to learn the correct punctuation. Here is a good resource on this:

http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/coordinatingconjunction.htm

"Some teachers warn that beginning a sentence with a coordinating conjunction is wrong. Teachers will typically tell you this because they are trying to help you avoid writing fragments. Other times teachers give this advice because their preference is that a sentence not begin with a coordinating conjunction. What you should remember is that you break no grammar rule if you begin a sentence with a coordinating conjunction. Because you might be breaking your instructors' rules, however, you should ask what their preferences are."

uekuI added COMMAS to the prepositions.

But and and are conjunctions. ( Sometimes but can be a preposition: Everyone got a prize but me. )
Prepostions are little words like: of, to, in, on, (there are hundreds of prepositions.)
Do not put a comma after a preposition.

Clive · Answer

I lost my objects. This is a very odd thing to say. What do you mean by 'objects'? Please explain a little.

Clive

Ueku · Answer

Thanks everyone for your input!!!!

Especially AlpheccaStars for the link, it really helped. (Is this a comma splice? Is it better to replace that comma with a semicolon or a colon?)

So I guess it's grammatically correct to start a sentence normally with a conjunction with no commas or anything-- just a conjunction at the start of a regular sentence, which is the exact way my English teachers claimed as completely, grammatically incorrect.

To check, is this correct?:

Everyone got a prize. But I didn't.

____

Also, new question.

How do I start a sentence with "Then" ?

Then I went to school.
Then, I went to school.

____

(To above poster: I wrote "objects" because I couldn't think of any other noun, haha)

AlpheccaStars · Answer

uekuTo check, is this correct?: Everyone got a prize. But I didn't.

Yes.

uekuThen I went to school.Then, I went to school.

It depends on the context.

Starting a sentence with "But" or "And"

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