Can you start a sentence with "And"?

[Speling Champeon]

My second grade teacher told me I can't. I was to "find a diffrent way to say it." I saw it in a major print media. Was she just making me think or was she right?

 

[emsr2d2]

My second grade teacher told me I can't. I was to "find a different way to say it". I saw it in a major print media. Was she just making me think or was she right?

I tell my students (non-native speakers) not to try to start sentences with "and", "but" or "so" until they're at least upper-intermediate level. However, you're a native English speaker so it is possible. However, you need to read a lot of good-quality English in order to get a handle on how to do it appropriately.

 

[Holmes]

My second grade teacher told me I can't.

Does she read her Bible? Here's a Christmastime excerpt from the beginning of Chapter 2 of the Book of Matthew. This is the King James Version of the Bible, widely considered the most formal and elegant version of the Bible that one can read. Of the six sentences comprised by these verses, three begin with "And." That's fifty percent!

"1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also." (source)

 

[Skrej]

There was a recent discussion about this just a few days ago. See this thread, starting with post #3.

 

[Tarheel]

@Speling Champeon If you're in the second grade that means you're probably only seven. Anyhow, I would say that that nine times out of ten I use "and" to start a clause in the same sentence.

 

[Rover_KE]

Can you start a sentence with "And"?​

You can start a sentence with any word in the language, as long as you can justify it and it's appropriate in the context.