One for the English teachers

[Choclatespread]

Can you put a 'And', with a capital letter after a full stop.

Yes, I've just taken a look and also discovered that conjunctions can either be coordinating conjunctions or subordinating conjunctions and that they are both sorts of connectives. There is another sort of connective which is an adverb.

I thought adverbs were words that end in -ly and described adjectives eg a deliciously nubile maiden .

Yes, there are no conjunctions in the NC, but plenty of connectives which need to be liberally sprinkled into your writing in order to achieve a level 4

Where are the English teachers? I now want to know. I have to encourage the use of connectives ("every teacher is a teacher of literacy"). What if I'm getting it all wrong!

bigTillyMint - so children are taught about connectives but not the three classifications thereof?

There are four types, apparently!

? Addition ? these connectives support your opinions when you want to give further examples or evidence ? e.g. also
? Opposition ? these connectives are used when you want to present another side to an argument ? e.g. however, but
? Cause ? these connectives are used to provide reasons for points you have made ? e.g. because, therefore
? Time ? these connectives are used to show the sequence of your points or ideas and to develop what you are saying ? e.g. just then, later

Ah. And how do your four classifications square with the three I found? Is it a completely different way of segmenting the same group?

HI,

Taught English in the UK for 12 years.

For the most part, we just teach them not to use connectives to start a sentence, except for emphasis.

For GCSE (higher tier) we would expect them to use a range of connectives, and we would talk about, but not insist on students knowing, whether they are words like 'and' or words like 'but' etc.

For 'A' Level Language, we would expect them to know opposition/cause etc.

Oh, and I think the time ones are pretty much used to start sentences nowadays.

I see absolutely no reason why you shouldn't. And i think you will find that Cecily does it all the time.

I am not an English teacher but I am an editor. And I wouldn't bat an eyelid if a sentence began with 'and'.

"And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God."
If it's good enough for King James...

King James was BEFORE we standardised everything though.

Even Shakespeare didn't know how to spell his own name.