The FastDay Forum

Hi,

This is just a thought.

I was taught in school never to start a sentence with the word "and" or but if it comes that.

I see there is an increasing trend, not just here but elsewhere too for starting sentences and even paragraphs with the word "and".

To me the word "and" by definition connects two parts of sentence, therefore beginning a sentence with that word is a grammatical nonsense.

Who is right?


David

You're definitely right David lol! You sound like my Dad

You're definitely right David lol! You sound like my Dad

Thankyou, I'm not sure that makes me feel better or worse but at least someone agrees with me.

That reminds me of my grandfather. Whenever we had a family 'discussion' about any grammar issue, he would always send one of the younger members of the family to fetch the large book, 'Fowler's modern English usage'. When the tome agreed with him, he would nod sagely and be pleased. When it didn't agree with him, he would always say, 'Fowler's is only an opinion'!

Much as I adored my grandfather, he has left me with a particular dislike for a split infinitive. I have to hide my feelings!!!

And is used at the start of a sentence as a poetic device... and also the previous sentence because it is perfectly justified!

That reminds me of my grandfather. Whenever we had a family 'discussion' about any grammar issue, he would always send one of the younger members of the family to fetch the large book, 'Fowler's modern English usage'. When the tome agreed with him, he would nod sagely and be pleased. When it didn't agree with him, he would always say, 'Fowler's is only an opinion'!

Much as I adored my grandfather, he has left me with a particular dislike for a split infinitive. I have to hide my feelings!!!

'To boldly go where no man has gone before' must really wind you up then @Doodle!

'To boldly go where no man has gone before' must really wind you up then @Doodle!

Absolutely! When you start to look for them, they're everywhere! I have passed this obsession on to my children too!! I noticed in the bathroom this week that my 11 year old had scratched out the word 'gently' on the liquid soap label where it promised 'to gently cleanse' her hands!

Slightly OT but do any of you remember 'First Aid in English' at school? It was an amazing book covering all aspects of the English language including idioms, syntax, colloquialisms and my particular bugbear the correct use of the apostrophe!

Ooohhhh yes@callyanna i thought i was the only one in the world who remembered that book from junior school! It was a fab book!
My particular bugbear is also.. apostrophes strewn carelessly everywhere..
I often see " banana's,apple's" for sale in the greengrocers
There's a barbers locally called " Dad's and Lad's"
Havent said that,i know i'm guilty of using lower case a lot,sheer laziness..
I think texting and typing on forums etc has made us all more slapdash.
And i often enjoy starting a sentence this way! Each time i do, i recall being taught at school not to!
PS Split infinitives don't annoy me tho x

As an ex teacher I have frequently had to restrain myself from pointing out grammatical or spelling errors on menus, signs etc and those unnecessary apostrophes in plurals like a plague of tadpoles annoy the hell out of me!

So glad I'm not the only one to be bothered by grammar.

And is used at the start of a sentence as a poetic device... and also the previous sentence because it is perfectly justified!

"and" what??

The snag with your comeback, if that what it was, is it didn't even make sense!

I wasn't aware, by the way, you were writing poetry, I thought you were writing about dietary issues on a forum!

So glad I'm not the only one to be bothered by grammar.

I'm equally pleased to see your post!

I think it might have been,
'And' is used at the start of the sentence...

I, too, hate poor grammar, although of late, I may have become inadvertently sloppy! As an ex- English teacher, I can say that many a child has struggled with the split infinitive and the possessive apostrophe, with which they have had to grapple!!

I have resigned myself to being a curmudgeonly old so and so, but am still seen as the walking grammar reference section to my family!!

I think it might have been,
'And' is used at the start of the sentence...

I, too, hate poor grammar, although of late, I may have become inadvertently sloppy! As an ex- English teacher, I can say that many a child has struggled with the split infinitive and the possessive apostrophe, with which they have had to grapple!!

I have resigned myself to being a curmudgeonly old so and so, but am still seen as the walking grammar reference section to my family!!

Strangely enough, the bright ones, my Dad and my sister, are the worst ones for it, which I find even more annoying.

My Mum (neither of us academically especially bright) agrees with me.