scottyboy Posted July 4, 2009 Report Share Posted July 4, 2009 P.S. Cloud, you started a sentence with a conjunction in your last post. Twice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloud Posted July 4, 2009 Report Share Posted July 4, 2009 P.S. Cloud, you started a sentence with a conjunction in your last post. Twice.I know I did... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottyboy Posted July 4, 2009 Report Share Posted July 4, 2009 I know I did... Sure you do. FYI, the "rule" you speak of refers to conjunctions, not "because" specifically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul_Victory Posted July 4, 2009 Report Share Posted July 4, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hobo Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 Do English grammarians agree on anything? Even books that some teachers regard as being authoritative (Murphy being a great example) are simply written to suit the language. So much of English is natural but wrong though - look at the way that Scots will use phrases like 'my hair needs washed' or 'the cat wants out' - both of those are absolutely natural to my ears too, but they're wrong.Anyway, even if it's natural, it would be punished by Cambridge examiners. And given that Cambridge exams are the closest thing that English has to a standardised test that's widely accepted - then they do have considerable influence, even if you or I don't agree. Probably because most of them are arguing for the sake of argument. It certainly was taught in my primary and secondary schools, and even in different countries. Or maybe they simply had bad teachers that accepted the use of 'because' to start a sentence. It's as good a rule as you'll get in English grammar - bearing in mind that even accepted authorities disagree on English (oh, the joy of having to explain to someone why Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries aren't exactly the same).Anyway, bearing in mind the widespread use of 'because' to start a sentence by people that can easily be called chavs, would you or anyone else educated really want to use it?Do you really teach people to start sentences with because?Formally!, informally;Letter is FormalThis website? Not so much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skubbs Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 Well at Skene Square Primary and Alford Primary I was always told off for starting a sentence with "because".The only reason I was ever given was "it's not a proper sentence if you do!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Stu Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 I was taught that in primary school, as well. But (ha) , looking around on the internet it seems as if there's nothing actually wrong with using but or because to start a sentence, as long as it's a full sentence and not a fragment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest droid Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 Most people on here aren't responsible for teaching people English either, are they? I very much doubt most people on here (without resorting to Google) can tell you when and when not to use because - and given that the rule is so arcane, it's simply better to avoid using it to start a sentence.If you can use it correctly, great - but when it is taught as a rule in English speaking schools, combined with obscure rules as to when it is actually allowed - I'd argue any day that it's simply easier to avoid using it. Given that there's no central authority for English - if it's being taught in schools as 'wrong' and is being taught in the ESL world as something to avoid using (unless you're teaching CPE!) - isn't it really wrong?Anyway, I stand by my point - it's exceptionally ugly to start a sentence with because.What does all this have to do with rude Aberdonians? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattJimF Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 Do you not think people who hijack a thread because they seem to think they are the font of all grammatical knowledge are rude??Even if said person isn't in Aberdeen OR Scotland OR the UK OR a nation that has english as their first language. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Stu Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 Dunno, is Cloud an Aberdonian? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul_Victory Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 Dunno, is Cloud an Aberdonian?not sure but i think he might live in or around polanddont quote me on that tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 not sure but i think he might live in or around polandToo late!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest droid Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 Do you not think people who hijack a thread because they seem to think they are the font of all grammatical knowledge are rude??Even if said person isn't in Aberdeen OR Scotland OR the UK OR a nation that has english as their first language.Hahaha nice one....Yes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkaline Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 not sure but i think he might live in or around polanddont quote me on that thoHow does where he's living right now stop him from being a rude Aberdonian? I'm pretty sure he's from Aberdeen originally. Not that i'm trying to claim him for you lot or anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloud Posted July 5, 2009 Report Share Posted July 5, 2009 How does where he's living right now stop him from being a rude Aberdonian? I'm pretty sure he's from Aberdeen originally. Not that i'm trying to claim him for you lot or anything.Yep, still an Aberdonian for all practical purposes. My permanent address is still Aberdeen, I still vote in Aberdeen and generally meet all the criteria, even down to birthplace and city of residence for most of my life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottyboy Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 Well at Skene Square Primary and Alford Primary I was always told off for starting a sentence with "because".The only reason I was ever given was "it's not a proper sentence if you do!"Not to hijack the thread again, but if you're interested:Your primary teachers didn't understand what they were teaching. The word "because" is a subordinating conjunction (i.e. a connecting word) and will always (I think) be part of a subordinate clause (a clause being a group of words containing a verb). Subordinate clauses cannot be proper sentences in themselves."Because I like calling you an asspiece" is not a sentence. But what Tubthumper meant in full is: "I haven't put you on my igonore list because I like calling you an asspiece". Or simply: "I like calling you an asspiece". Those are both sentences. That first sentence can also be written: "Because I like calling you an asspiece, I haven't put you on my ignore list." i.e. a full, proper sentence starting with "because". The same applies to "however", "although", "therefore" etc. What Cloud perhaps, instinctively meant was "You put 'because' at the start of that would-be-sentence, therefore now it's not a sentence. Ha!"Exciting stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Stu Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 I'm so glad that my primary school teachers were wrong.The other thing they told me to do was stop writing in script because 'we're not doing that yet' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Gold Posted July 6, 2009 Report Share Posted July 6, 2009 Of course, smiley faces in the middle of school essays are frowned upon also, but hey, it's a casual internet forum. Let's go fucking nuts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.