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Anonymous Posted 12 years ago
Vocabulary

'whenever' used as an adverb

Is it acceptable to start a sentence with the word 'whenever' used as an adverb?

One day, I'll master this language.

Whenever, I'll master this language.
  

Top answer

Anonymous Whenever, I'll master this language. No. That doesn't work at all.

  • Anonymous Whenever, I'll master this language.
  • No.
  • That doesn't work at all.
  • CJ
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5 Answers
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AnonymousWhenever, I'll master this language.
No. That doesn't work at all.

CJ
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Thank you. That confirms my gut reactions, but a contributor on another site has found an example in song lyrics ("Whenever, wherever, we're meant to be together.") and Gethin's rule-of-thumb 'But in many contexts, adverbs of practically any sort can be put at the beginning of the sentence, for emphasis' and is claiming these as a licence for the usage. They did eventually concede that it's not a
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You couldn't possibly steer me to a source backing up your opinion, could you please? Your contributions here have always impressed me (I still remember your 'In what way is here 'modifying' be in I am here: am is just a link' OWTTE), but a generation has arisen that knows not your name. Edwin Ashworth
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AnonymousYou couldn't possibly steer me to a source backing up your opinion, could you please?
I don't know of any source that would list usages that are not correct, word by word. You might be able to find a usage note in a dictionary entry of 'whenever' somewhere that deals specifically with that word by itself at the beginning of a sentence, but don't get
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Many thanks. KUTGW (sounds less patronising as an initialism).

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