Sentences Starting with ‘And’ and the Paradigm Shift
When I was in grade school, my teacher always emphasized that no sentence should start with ‘AND’ (as it’s a conjunction) and moreover, it was a taboo on the exams. I have grown with this mindset and have never ever started a sentence with ‘AND’.
However, learning is something that takes place every minute. We see others do things and most often mimic involuntarily. One such example is the use of sentences starting with ‘AND’. The trend is changing, for the better or for the worse is yet to ascertained. Several authors, big and small, in novels and professional books, start sentences with ‘AND’, not once or twice, but regularly. Has the English grammar been rewritten? The answer is NO.
Sir Ernest Arthur Gowers, best known for work on style guides for writing the English language states – That it is a solecism to begin a sentence with and is a faintly lingering superstition. The OED gives examples ranging from the 10th to the 19th c.; the Bible is full of them.
Interestingly, this was stated and is in use well before most of us were born. Did the paradigm shift start earlier than it was realized?
Going by the usage of sentences starting with ‘AND’, one has to comprehend that it is OK to use it but there might be a few objections from a different front. English grammar books such as Wren and Martin and Cambridge Guide are still dead against it.
Different views are thrown across the board on the usage and here’s an abridged version :
* AND still sounds informal – only suitable for blogs, novels and not business proposals, contracts etc
* AND is a great sentence starter for blogs as it maintains an easy, conversational style
* AND resurrects a link between two sentences, whilst it delivers in short, punchy vein
* More importantly, we can get rid of long complex sentences, which makes readability tougher
Some English grammar teachers still vouch for non-usage of AND at the beginning of a sentence and provide ample examples to convey the same message in a grammatically correct way:
Instead of: “And, we hope to see you this fall at our fundraising event.”
Try: “In addition, we hope to see you this fall at our fundraising event.”
Or try: “Furthermore, we are pleased that you will be attending our fundraising event this fall.”
To conclude, I must confess that it feels great to be given the liberty to start a sentence with ‘AND’ but one must use it wisely. Overusing it might kill the charm of long sentences and under rate one’s writing skills.
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