Because

Can you start a sentence with "because"? Certainly!

"Because" is a subordinating conjunction; it introduces a subordinate clause. And there is nothing wrong with starting a sentence with a subordinate clause—as long as the sentence also includes a main clause.

Wrong	Correct
Because I was tired.	Because I was tired, I took a nap.
Because I was hungry.	Because I was hungry, I ate lunch.
Because I love her.	Because I love her, I let her go.

 

Remember: Subordinate clauses cannot live alone; they always need a main clause in order to survive.

Wrong	Correct
While you were out.	While you were out, someone called. Someone called while you were out.
After I got home.	After I got home, I did my homework. I did my homework after I got home.
If it rains.	If it rains, I will stay inside. I will stay inside if it rains.

 

Why did my elementary school teacher tell me that I cannot start a sentence with "because"?

They were trying to keep it simple. A more complete answer would have sounded something like this:

• Sentences with "because" always have two parts—the "because" half, and the other half. So sure, you can start a sentence with "because", as long as you don't forget to include the second half!

Answering in Complete Sentences

Imagine that you are in Social Studies class, filling out a worksheet. The question is:

• Why did American colonists rebel against Great Britain in 1776?

You answer:

• Because they hated high taxes.

Some teachers might accept that answer; others might not—because it's not a complete sentence. If you have a strict teacher who insists that all your answers must be written in complete sentences, then that answer would certain be wrong. To answer that question in a "complete sentence," you'd have to write something like this:

• The colonists rebelled because they hated high taxes.
• The colonists hated high taxes.

Instructions for the Quiz

The quiz consists of 10 (mostly silly) multiple-choice questions. Choose the answer that is a complete sentence.

Alert! The correct answer is the answer that is a grammatically correct "complete sentence". (A complete sentence has at least one independent clause). Some students mistakenly think I'm trying to test them on their knowledge of history, or whatever. No! I don't care about that. The purpose of this quiz is to test your ability to recognize a complete sentence.

Quiz