VOA慢速英语--Can You Start a Sentence with 'Because'?

This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Achmad in Suriname. He asks:

Question:

Can you start a sentence with "because" or "and"? -Achmad, Suriname

Answer:

Hello Achmad,

Earlier this year on Ask a Teacher, we answered a reader who asked if sentences can begin with "and." The answer is yes. You can find the full answer on that program, which ran on January 8.

Today, let's talk about "because."

The word "because" is a conjunction that means "for the reason that." A conjunction is a word that joins other words or groups of words in a sentence.

To answer your question: Yes, you can start a sentence with "because." However, to be a complete sentence, it must express a complete thought.

Here are some examples of complete sentences beginning with "because":

Because I was happy, I smiled.

Because of the severe storm, my internet went down.

Notice the punctuation¹ marks. There are commas in the middle of the sentences and periods at the end. When we start complete sentences with "because," this is how we punctuate² them.

By themselves, "because I was happy" and "because of the severe storm" are not complete sentences. But that does not mean they are not acceptable³. In English, we begin many answers to questions in speaking and informal writing with the word "because."

For example, suppose you are answering a friend's text message. Listen to this question and the answer:

Why did you smile?

Because I was happy

Or, imagine your coworker is asking about your internet:

Why did your internet go down?

Because of the storm

Notice that I did not put a period after the responses that began with "because." They are not full sentences. But in informal writing, such as texts or informal emails, some English speakers do put periods after incomplete⁴ sentences.

And that's Ask a Teacher for This Week. To learn more about starting sentences with "because," look for stories on adverb clauses⁶ in the series Everyday Grammar.

Words in This Story

punctuation –n. the marks (such as periods and commas) in a piece of writing that make its meaning clear

text –n. data handled by a computer, cell phone, etc., that is mostly in the form of words

adverb –n. a word that describes another word and that often shows time, or something related to action

clause⁵ –n. a part of a sentence that has a subject and verb

1 punctuation   

n.标点符号，标点法

参考例句：

• My son's punctuation is terrible.我儿子的标点符号很糟糕。
• A piece of writing without any punctuation is difficult to understand.一篇没有任何标点符号的文章是很难懂的。

2 punctuate   

vt.加标点于；不时打断

参考例句：

• The pupils have not yet learned to punctuate correctly.小学生尚未学会正确使用标点符号。
• Be sure to punctuate your sentences with the correct marks in the right places.一定要在你文章句子中的正确地方标上正确的标点符号。

3 acceptable   

adj.可接受的，合意的，受欢迎的

参考例句：

• The terms of the contract are acceptable to us.我们认为这个合同的条件可以接受。
• Air pollution in the city had reached four times the acceptable levels.这座城市的空气污染程度曾高达可接受标准的四倍。

4 incomplete   

adj.不完全的，不完善的

参考例句：

• The building was left incomplete.那座楼没有完工就停下来了。
• His novel was incomplete when he died.他死的时候他的小说没有写完。

5 clause   

n.（正式文件或法律文件的）条款，从句，分句

参考例句：

• The sentence consists of a main clause and a subordinate clause.这句中有一个主句和一个从句。
• What clause do you require in the contract?你要求在合同中订上什么条款？

6 clauses   

从句( clause的名词复数 )； （法律文件等的）条款

参考例句：

• Relative pronouns and adverbs introduce attributive clauses. 关系代词和关系副词引导定语从句。
• Please underline the noun clauses in the passage. 请用线画出短文中的名词性从句。