Hello all. I am sure this is not the first time this question has been put to the forum. When I went to school which is ages ago, we were taught that a sentence can not start with but or and, but when I read I find this not the case, a lot of writers seem to do this and it's accepted. My question is, as a non published writer, therefore unknown with no following, is it then acceptable to submit work to an agent with this kind of grammar? I think it is, but that doesn't mean it is correct. Thanks in advance.
Regards Paul.
Thank you Jonathan, it is pretty much what I thought but as I'm getting close to the point where I submit I needed to be told, just to be on the safe side. So often years ago when we were in the studio and trying to get things right, someone would deliver a line and be pulled up for it, they would say well so and so does it like that, to which they would get, well when you're as famous as they are you can do it that way, until then do it the proper way. I was making sure it wasn't like that in writing. Thanks again, Regards Paul.
Ah, the old 'never start with a conjunction' rule. I remember that one from school essays, too :)
It goes alongside 'don't use fragments' as one of those most commonly broken by action writers. And crime novelists. As well as a many other genre-ists.
I think it's a rule one can pretty safely ignore. But as with most other diversions from the norm, 'use in moderation' is the best bet.