A grammar rule you CAN ignore :)

By Sharmila Gautama

“Never start a sentence with ‘but’.”

But, I do, and it seems so right.

Sometimes, starting a sentence with ‘but’ is more impactful. The grammar police may frown, but the trend is catching on!

If you are still not too comfortable with starting a sentence with ‘but’, here is an alternative that you can use.

Start your sentence with ‘however’. A ‘but’ at the beginning of the sentence sounds like you are closing the door on any further discussion on the topic. ‘However’ sounds like you are providing an alternate solution.

Look at these sentences below:

  1. I am afraid that we will not be able to start the project as per the plan. But, we are recruiting additional resources to complete the project on schedule.
  2. I am afraid that we will not be able to start the project as per the plan. However, we are recruiting additional resources to complete the project on schedule.

I always begin a sentence with ‘but’ if I want to be emphatic, and use a ‘however’ if I am writing to a client or on a sensitive issue. So, I keep my audience in mind when I need to break this grammar rule. This is a golden rule that I never break!

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