10 Best Words to Use Instead of "And" to Start a Sentence

Did you know that “and” can be put at the start of a sentence? While many teachers and schools teach us against using conjunctions to start sentences, there are no grammatical rules that make it incorrect. Still, this article will explore some alternatives, in case you want them.

The preferred alternatives include using no conjunction, “additionally,” and “also.” All of these alternatives are great when you’re trying to include further information in a sentence. Sometimes, no conjunction is the best option because it removes some people’s issues with conjunctions.

No Conjunction

You don’t have to start a sentence with “and” at all. Instead, you could just remove the conjunction or include it somewhere in the middle of the sentence. If you’re worried about grammatical rules with conjunctions starting sentences, this might be your best choice.

If you don’t know how you can remove “and” at the start of the sentence, you can refer to the following example:

A lot was happening at the same time. And I wasn’t sure if there was something that I could do to stop it.

The above sentence uses “and” at the start of the second one. To fix that, we can do one of the following:

A lot was happening at the same time, and I wasn’t sure if there was something that I could do to stop it.
A lot was happening at the same time. I wasn’t sure if there was something that I could do to stop it.

In example one, “and” is brought into the first sentence. It is used as a coordinating conjunction to connect the two independent clauses with each other. Now, it’s just one sentence with “and” in the middle.

Example two removes “and” entirely. Instead of worrying about starting a new sentence with it, we can just include the two sentences without “and” coming between them.

I’m not going to be able to make it today. Maybe you should go without me to make it a little more manageable.
They wanted to tell her the truth. They were going to do whatever it took to make sure she didn’t have to worry about them.
I thought about it, and I would really appreciate it if you would stop talking about me like that. I’m not going to listen to you anymore.

Additionally

“Additionally” is one of the best replacements for “and” if you still want a conjunction to start the sentence. It allows you to make “additions” to the information you’ve already provided.

These additions usually help people to have a better understanding of why you’re talking about specific things. It also helps people to understand why you might be connecting information in certain ways.

Someone told me what you said the other day. Additionally, there were some other people who came forward to help out.
We needed a few things for the recipe. Additionally, Matthew said that he would rather avoid going to the stores again.
There were many things to say. Additionally, someone wasn’t going to be going there later. We had to get it done now.

Also

“Also” is a simple replacement for “and.” Most people use it informally when they are tired of using “and” too often. It makes for a good synonym that can replace “and” in almost every situation.

I could have told you that. Also, I thought it would have been a lot easier if we could have worked together. I guess I was wrong.
That’s not what they said at all. Also, what makes you think you have the right to badmouth them like this?
We wanted to do something special. Also, we thought it was about time that you were all treated to a nice day out.

Furthermore

“Furthermore” is a very formal word that most people use in their essays or academic pieces. You won’t often find this word used outside of writing, as a lot of native speakers think it sounds quite jarring when spoken aloud.

It’s still a very solid choice when you’re looking to “further” the information added by the previous sentence.

I couldn’t find my way back. Furthermore, someone mentioned that there was a nice motel somewhere over here. That’s why I came.
The situation was dire. Furthermore, most of the officials didn’t want to do anything to acknowledge the problem. That made it worse.

It could have been easier. Furthermore, I was disappointed that so many of you had such a hard time coming up with solutions.

Similarly

“Similarly” is a great way of showing how two sentences might connect. It looks for similarities between the sentences. Specifically, you can use it to try and find a solid connection between two pieces of information that might help your reader to understand more.

It wasn’t easy to do. Similarly, there were a few people who weren’t willing to help out when the going got tough.
I could have told you that. Similarly, I have a few friends that are able to get most of these things done without you needing to pay extra.

It could have gone two ways. Similarly, there was an event just like this one a few years ago that people were told to ignore.

Likewise

“Likewise” is another good way of showing that two pieces of information connect in some way. It’s best to use this one when you know that there’s a true connection or the two pieces of information are identical in some form.

Would you be able to help him? Likewise, would you be willing to offer your services to me in the future to help out?
It could have gone better. Likewise, I’m sure the same thing will l happen again next year. I’m getting really tired of it.
There were a few issues with the essay. Likewise, someone had decided that it would be funnier if they didn’t submit one at all.

Moreover

“Moreover” is a great choice that many people use formally in their writing. It allows you to add “more” information “over” the things you’ve already stated.

A word like this is a great option for anyone looking to include further information to aid their readers. It’s mainly used formally because a lot of informal writers think it sounds a bit too jarring to include at any point in their writing.

It’s definitely not something you’d hear in spoken English.

It happened so fast. Moreover, I don’t think I would have been able to recall what he looked like even if it slowed down a bit.
I thought about doing more to help. Moreover, it would definitely make me feel better about myself to help out those less fortunate than I.
Could you not have done something to prevent this? Moreover, are you not the least bit ashamed that you didn’t try?

As Well As

“As well as” is an informal way of starting a sentence. You can use it to replace “and,” but it’s better suited informally you’re not trying to impress someone.

It still allows you to add further information to a sentence, but it’s not always the most effective. It definitely won’t work well formally, so you should avoid using it in these cases.

Tom needed to go. As well as wanting to find out more, he also needed to make sure he wasn’t alone.
I could have told you that. As well as knowing more about it than you, I wanted to help you understand what was actually happening here.
As well as the hard times they faced, the family also had to file the death officially. That was perhaps the hardest thing I watched them do.

Along With That

“Along with that” allows you to include further information to whatever was previously stated. This is a fairly common phrase used by people when they’re trying to sound more formal and knowledgeable.

It helps to make the two pieces of information look like they flow smoothly into each other.

Matthew couldn’t go alone. Along with that, he needed to make sure he had someone to help him out. I didn’t envy him at all.
You should have told them about it. Along with that, I thought I could trust you to let them know what was actually taking place.
I thought I needed you. Along with that, I suppose I was a fool. I won’t ever be needing you again, so it’s best if you leave now.

What’s More

“What’s more” is a solid choice to replace “and.” It works really well because it allows you to include “more” information that your readers might be asking for. It’s generally used as an answer to the question of “what else happened?” or “what else can you say?”

I wasn’t going to help out anymore. What’s more, they didn’t even seem to care that I wasn’t feeling well. I knew they were evil.
The situation has gotten worse over the last fortnight. What’s more, is that most people seem to be capable of ignoring it.
Didn’t you want to find out what happened here? What’s more, weren’t you one of the first people to get to the scene?

Martin Lassen

Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.