Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Related Improving one's writing II

I hope no one minds I'm beginning this new thread. Someone (Gerry, I think?) mentioned that the other thread was getting too long and I wanted to ask this question that is probably going to attract many replies.

So, here it is:

I know that in my sig line I say 'And never begin a sentence with a conjunction' I chose that lines because I thought they're fun, but there's something bugging me.

I often begin sentences with 'And'. Dunno why, it just seems to flow naturally.

Now, my question is: I know that (at least typically) it's wrong to begin a sentence with and. Is it annoying too?

I'm waiting for your replies and the continuation of the writing issues (Schoolmarm? )
See ya,
AnnaBtG.

Gosh, I hope it's not too annoying, 'cause I do that a lot... And I don't think it's always wrong, either. I read that somewhere, really. But I can't remember where...

PJ

There were certain rules that we were taught as kids in elementary school so that we wouldn't make mistakes. Examples of these include never begin a sentence with "because". The reason for this is to avoid a sentence fragment. (Easy for a kid or an adult to write--e.g. Because I never understood grammatical rules. That's a sentence fragment...a no-no). But there is nothing wrong with--Because I never understood grammatical rules, I made a lot of mistakes.

So, in short, to avoid certain mistakes, kids are taught what not to do.

Similarly, beginning a sentence with "And" puts the reader in the middle of a sentence--or at least the sentence before. That's a good rule for writing essays and other transactional (more formal) kinds of writing, but generally it's ignored in writing fiction. The "And" becomes more emphatic at the beginning of the sentence.

And once again, it's something that should be used in moderation. If not, the emphasis is lost.

(BTW, another myth that is taught in elementary school is that commas are placed wherever there is a pause in the flow of the sentence. Not true. There are very specific rules for commas.)

Good thing my red pen has been retired

gerry

Could someone please point me out to a website explaining those rules? Or explain them here?

Kaethel

It's the SPIT rule Helene.

S- words, phrases, clauses in a SERIES are separated by a comma e.g. There are chairs, tables and rugs in the room.

P - PRINCIPLE clauses linked with a conjunction (and, but, or) --Clark arrived on time, but Lois was late.

I - An INTRODUCTORY word, phrase or clause is followed by a comma. e.g. Nevertheless, Lois was annoyed.
or
Wishing that she had spoken to Clark first, Lois plunged into the deep water.

T - THOUGHT INTERRUPTION (The comma comes before and after. The first one signals a "detour"; the second brings the reader back to the main road.) e.g. Clark, a part-time superhero, manages to save the day on a regular basis.

Those are the basic rules. And of course, there are exceptions (and there are the rules of dialogue punctuation).

Hope that helps.

gerry

I'm like gerry in that I tend to use "and" at the beginning of a sentence to provide emphasis. Of course, I also write the way I talk so starting a sentence with "and" is probably the least of my grammatical infractions.

Thanks for the very comprehensive explanation, Gerry! Very clear and your examples illustrate those rules very well. So I'll try to get my grammatically-challenged mind to remember those.

Kaethel

Thanks, Gerry and everyone else who replied!

AnnaBtG.