Writing Hint #3 Prepositions and conjunctions
My wife and I usually agree on most things. There is one matter on which we often clash swords - in a friendly way I might add.
My wife is adamant that it is very bad form to start sentences with a conjunction. I must admit to doing this on many occasions, usually for special effect. And it really riles her. But in my defence, I am not alone in using this writing style.
And this quote says it all:
“Prepositions are not for ending sentences with. And don’t start sentences with a conjunction.”
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Wednesday August 16th, 2006 | Categories: Writing Hints
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August 16th, 2006 at 4:28 pm
Ooooh! Contentious, Trevor. And an argument that no one wins.
I grew up with both those rules, but modern grammar certainly allows both.
Some sentences can only end in a preoposition; otherwise, they appear quite clumsy.
Examples from the “Handbook for Writers and Editors” by Margaret McKenzie (the book we’re using in the TAFE Professional Writing and Editing course):
- Which door did you come through? (Instead of ‘Through which door did you come?’)
- He was someone you could rely on. (Instead of ‘He was someone on whom you could rely.’)
- The play wasn’t worth going to. (Instead of ‘It wasn’t worth going to the play.’)
As she says, “Use common sense and use the structure that sounds most natural”
She also says of starting a sentence with co-ordinating conjunction to use it for emphasis but not to overdo it.
August 16th, 2006 at 4:34 pm
Sometimes we also use “But”, “Or”, “Yet” and “So” like conjunctive adverbs. For example, where we might mean “However”, we say “But”
“And” though I think we usually just use for emphasis.
August 27th, 2006 at 2:25 pm
Good points Chris.