一些同学在读书的时候英语老师可能教过不能将and以及but等连词放在句子开头，比如不能写：The telephone isn’t working. And that’s not the only problem.

但实际上这一说法是错误的，英语语法和惯用法中并没有规定and以及but这些连词不能放在句首。不少主流写作指南都指出，连词的这一用法是可以接受的。比如the Chicago Manual of Style（芝加哥格式手册）就有这样的说法：

There is a widespread belief—one with no historical or grammatical foundation—that it is an error to begin a sentence with a conjunction such as and, but or so. In fact, a substantial percentage (often as many as 10 percent) of the sentences in first-rate writing begin with conjunctions.

经典写作指南The Elements of Style（风格的要素）一书中也出现过这样的句子：

But since writing is communication, clarity can only be a virtue. And although there is no substitute for merit in writing, clarity comes closest to being one.

那么，为何一些老师会认为and不能出现在句首呢？英国语言学家David Crystal在他的著作The Story of English in 100 Words当中给出了一个解释：在19世纪的时候一些学校老师注意到小孩在写作中容易滥用and这一单词，于是就禁止学生在句子开头使用该词。但这一做法并不科学，正确的方法应该是引导学生用好连词，而不是完全禁止。

英语中像and以及but这样的连词称为并列连词（coordinating conjunction），并列连词还包括for, nor, or, yet, so，人们也因此将这些词统称为FANBOYS (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So)。这些词都可以出现在句首。

不过并列连词直接放在句首与它们放在句子中间确实存在一些区别，最主要的一点是可以用于强调。比如这两个句子：

(1) Many people fear crashing in an airplane. But riding in a car is actually more dangerous.

(2) Many people fear crashing in an airplane, but riding in a car is actually more dangerous.

第一个句子表意会比第二个句子更加强烈，将But置于句子开头可以强调"riding in a car is actually more dangerous"这一部分的内容。

又比如这两个句子：

(1) Susan wasn’t feeling well. Yetshe still attended the meeting.

(2) Susan wasn’t feeling well, yet she still attended the meeting.

第一句将Yet放在句首，这样可以加强语气，让读者将注意力放在“苏珊带病参加会议”这一件事上。

参考资料

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/articles/can-i-start-a-sentence-with-a-conjunction/

https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/words-to-not-begin-sentences-with

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