Can You Begin A Sentence With A Verb?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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People often begin spoken sentences with a verb, particularly imperative sentences, such as “

Join a gym

if you want to be healthy,” and interrogatives, such as “Do you know where the stapler is?” Although written language tends to abide by different rules and formalities than spoken language, even writers of academic …

What is it called when you start a sentence with a verb?

As you noted, it is possible to a sentence with an “-ing word”, which is called

a gerund

. A gerund is a special form of a verb which turns it into an adjective. In this case, your sentence would become “Observing the experiments, I learned that ‘Failure is the mother of success.

What words can you not start a sentence with?

Or never begins a sentence, paragraph, or chapter. Never begin a sentence—or a clause—with also. Teach the elimination of but, so, and, because, at the beginning of a sentence. A sentence should not commence with the conjunctions and,

for

, or however….

Can you start a sentence with a verb ending in ing?

Yes, you can! In fact

you can start a sentence with almost any word

. … Of course it's correct to start a sentence with a word ending in –ing: But you risk writing a sentence fragment or a dangling modifier. It's a good idea to check the first word of every sentence to see if either of those errors has crept in.

What can I begin a sentence with?

  • Begin with a verb ending with -ing. …
  • Begin with a verb ending with -ed. …
  • Begin with a prepositional phrase. …
  • Begin with an adverb. …
  • Begin with an adjective. …
  • Begin with a phrase that tells when. …
  • Begin with a phrase that tells where. …
  • Begin with a sound word.

What is a good way to start off a sentence?

  • Revealing Personal Information. “School was hard for me, for lots of reasons.” – …
  • Mirroring the Reader's Pain. …
  • Asking the Reader a Question. …
  • Shock the Reader. …
  • Intrigue the Reader. …
  • Lead with a Bold Claim. …
  • Be Empathetic and Honest. …
  • Invite the Reader In.

Can I use but to start a sentence?


There's no rule against beginning a sentence with but

. Sure, it's a wise admonition from middle-school English teachers that novice writers avoid beginning a series of sentences with but.

Can a sentence start with an ing word?

An “-ing” word at the start of a sentence

is not wrong

, if it is used in the correct way. Often authors use an “-ing” word, also called a gerund, to avoid using the word “I” too much.

What is a verb in a sentence?

A verb is

the action or state of being in a sentence

. Verbs can be expressed in different tenses, depending on when the action is being performed. Here are some examples: Example: Jennifer walked to the store. In this sentence, walked is the verb that shows an action.

What's an ing word called?

2. The “-ing” form can function as a noun. These nouns are called

gerunds

and can be the subject of a clause, followed by a third-person singular (he/she/it) form of the verb. The gerund in the following sample sentences is bolded, and the verb is italicized: Writing is an important skill.

How do I start my introduction?

  1. Attract the Reader's Attention. Begin your introduction with a “hook” that grabs your reader's attention and introduces the general topic. …
  2. State Your Focused Topic. After your “hook”, write a sentence or two about the specific focus of your paper. …
  3. State your Thesis. Finally, include your thesis statement.

What can I say instead of I?

I for one I myself for me ourself self the author the speaker the writer me, myself and I myself only

What are some good sentence starters for essays?

  • In my opinion….
  • I believe….
  • I'm sure of…
  • We all know….
  • I know……
  • I feel that….
  • We all agree…
  • While I agree…

How do you write an opening sentence?

  1. Revealing Personal Information. “School was hard for me, for lots of reasons.” – …
  2. Mirroring the Reader's Pain. …
  3. Asking the Reader a Question. …
  4. Shock the Reader. …
  5. Intrigue the Reader. …
  6. Lead with a Bold Claim. …
  7. Be Empathetic and Honest. …
  8. Invite the Reader In.

What can I say instead of she?

woman lady girl lass gal miss lassie dowager chick matron

What are the different ways to write one sentence?

There are four types of sentences:

simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex

. Each sentence is defined by the use of independent and dependent clauses, conjunctions, and subordinators.

Rachel Ostrander
Author
Rachel Ostrander
Rachel is a career coach and HR consultant with over 5 years of experience working with job seekers and employers. She holds a degree in human resources management and has worked with leading companies such as Google and Amazon. Rachel is passionate about helping people find fulfilling careers and providing practical advice for navigating the job market.