Starting a Sentence with a Conjunction

If a conjunction is used at the beginning of a sentence, the reader may be looking for an idea to connect to the sentence. While using a conjunction at the beginning of a sentence can add emphasis, it’s an informal means of doing so. You can use it in creative or personal writing, but it’s not recommended for formal writing.

Many people fear crashing in an airplane. But riding in a car is actually more dangerous.

Beginning the second sentence with the conjunction but is not a good idea. It would be better to connect the sentences with a comma and but.

Many people fear crashing in an airplane, but riding in a car is actually more dangerous.

And when using the subjunctive, be sure to use it properly.

We can take out the and at the beginning of the sentence; it serves no purpose.

N.B. While the subject is a matter of debate, beginning a sentence with words like “however” and “on the other hand” is frequently frowned upon. It may be safer to connect the sentences with a semi-colon.

I like the blue shirt; however, the red one is nice, too.