Starting sentences with and, but, however or because

The idea that a sentence should not begin with coordinating conjunctions such as and and but has no grammatical foundation. The main issue is stylistic: they can become tiresome if used too often at the start of sentences.

Starting a sentence with because is no problem when it is the subordinator for a dependent clause that precedes the main clause:

Because he had more experience of rock climbing, we welcomed him as our guide.

The same goes for other subordinators such as conditional if, which often leads a sentence setting out the precondition for an argument.

However can be used at the beginning of a sentence (or later), as an indefinite adverb or conjunction. It is typically followed by an adjective or adverb:

However hard they tried, they could not climb to the top.

However can also be used as a contrastive adverb at the start of a sentence, set off with a comma:

The team were determined to reach the homestead. However, the rain slowed them down and dampened their spirits.

In formal writing, the 2 sentences can be combined, but the boundary should be marked with a semicolon, and a comma after however:

The team were determined to reach the homestead; however, the rain slowed them down and dampened their spirits.

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