Can you use “because” at the beginning of a sentence?
Sure. (Why? Because I said so.)
But whether you should start a sentence with “because” is a matter of context.
Can a sentence start with ‘because’?
Yes, you can start a sentence with “because.” Writers do it all the time, even in formal writing. Here’s an example:
Because he lost his car keys, Jake missed his job interview appointment.
That’s a bummer for Jake, but at least the sentence is well-written.
The difference between main and subordinate clauses
Let’s break this sentence into parts.
Subordinate clause: Because he lost his car keys
Main clause: Jake missed his job interview appointment
Main clause
The main clause can stand on its own. “Jake missed his job interview appointment” is a complete sentence and doesn’t need any additional information if we don’t want to provide it.
If we want to add a little additional info, that’s where the subordinate clause comes in.
Subordinate clause
Take a look at the subordinate clause above. Without more context, we’re missing clues as to what the rest of the message is about. A subordinate clause can’t stand on its own and still make sense. It needs to be attached to the main part of the sentence.
Mix-and-match clauses
You may have noticed that the example sentence works with the subordinate clause either at the beginning, before the main clause, or at the end, after the main clause.
- Because he lost his car keys, Jake missed his job interview appointment.
- Jake missed his job interview appointment because he lost his car keys.
Remember: Any sentence you start with a subordinate clause will need a comma following the subordinate clause, followed by the main clause.
‘Because’ in a stand-alone sentence
Now that you understand the rule, is it okay to break it?
I say yes! (In fact, I broke it at the beginning of this post when I wrote the stand-alone sentence “Because I said so.”)
In fiction, you might use “because” to start a sentence of character dialogue, especially when the previous snippet of dialogue provides context.
“Why did Jake miss his job interview appointment?”
“Because he lost his car keys.”
As a style choice in a conversational blog post, you might start a sentence with “because” to make a droll observation.
I lost my car keys on the morning of my job interview appointment and missed the interview. Because of course I did.
The bottom line
If you’re certain you hear the nagging voice of your ninth-grade English teacher admonishing you every time you start a sentence with “because,” take heart — your teacher was probably just trying to stop you from creating sentence fragments.
So here’s the bottom line:
- In formal writing: Start a sentence with “because” only when the because clause is followed by a comma and a complete main clause.
- In dialogue: We speak in sentence fragments all the time. Using “because” to start a sentence is fine and makes your dialogue sound more authentic.
- In conversational writing: When you’re striking a conversational tone, starting a stand-alone sentence with “because” can add a touch of dry humor or sarcasm. Go for it!
Because you were curious, you’ve learned a new writing trick. Go, you!
