Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2007

It's strictly a style guideline. It's not a good idea to begin too
many sentences with "but", "and", "so", "or", or any other
conjunction, but there are times when it's stylistically effective.,
even in formalo prose. It would be frowned upon in most academic
publications, however.

It's not a rule of grammar, only of house style in some (most?)
publishing houses.

The point to using "but" at the beginning of a sentence is to provide
the reader with a discontinuous cognitive experience because of the
longer pause required by the end stop than the comma -- I would not
use a semi-colon before a "but", only before a more formal
contrastive conjunction, such as "however".

Such a structure might be most effective in more informal prose,
after something like this: "I really wanted to tell her that I
thought she looked more like a used-up old white rhino than a
gravity-challenged Venus de Milo. I really really wanted to tell her
that. But I didn't. She would have flattened me then and there."

There is nothing wrong with beginning a sentence with "but" or, for
that matter, "and" or any other coordinating conjunction.  But don't
just take my word for it; here's one comment online from a reputable
authority:

"To start a sentence with but is Standard English, and it is often
very effective if used sparingly and if not set off with a comma when
it simply introduces an independent clause, as in 'But this reasoning
will not stand up.'"  <http://www.bartleby.com/68/55/1055.html>.

And here's another:

"The rule against beginning a sentence with a conjunction is an old
and pervasive one, and most people remember having been taught it in
grade school. But very few usage writers have recommended avoiding the
practice; most seem to think that it's fine, for effect, as long as
it's not overdone. H.W. Fowler goes so far as to call the rule an
'ungrammatical piece of nonsense.'"
<http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19961105>.

It's pretty clear how Fowler feels, innit?  But it appears you missed
a similar comment in the New "Fowler," edited by Burchfield and
commonly referred to as "Fowler III."  It's not online, but I have a
copy, and here's an excerpt from "but (2)":  "The widespread belief
that 'but' should not be used at the beginning of a sentence seems to
be unshakeable.  Yet it has no foundation."  Not much equivocation
there.  Note also the sentence-starting "yet" in that passage.  It's
another instance of starting a sentence with a coordinating
conjunction.  MWDEU (also, sadly, not online) calls the belief "part
of the folklore of usage."

In short, there's no such rule.  It's a superstition with no basis in
logic, history, or practice.  Ignore it.  If anyone other than a
teacher or a supervisor attempts to get you to follow such a "rule,"
ignore them.  If anyone posts to this group arguing for the "rule" (as
you indicate has happened), ignore them too.

As for examples, they're everywhere.  Just watch for them.  You'll
soon lose track of how many you've seen.

No worries.  We all get betrayed by our software at times (when we
aren't being betrayed by our hardware.)

This is not a rule of English grammar, but is an issue of style upon which
competent authorities may disagree.  Frequent use of conjunction to begin
sentences creates a breathless tone, suggesting a speaker who fears being
interrupted.  Frequent use of "but" and its near synonyms such as "on the
other hand," "however," and so forth, suggests poor organization.  If, for
example, there are many pros and cons, it may be better to take up all the
pros together and all the cons together.

It is merely a style guideline.

In the most formal contexts, it would be better to follow the rule.
Objections will seldom be encountered in popular writing.