Can You Start A Sentence With “As”? (15 Correct Examples)

It’s a fairly common myth in written English that you can’t start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction. “As” falls under this category, but it is possible to start a sentence with “as” whenever it works for you. In this article, we’ll explain when it’s best to use it.

Can You Start A Sentence With “As”?

You can start a sentence with “as” whenever you want to introduce a point. It is synonymous with “because,” which is a coordinating conjunction. However, “as” is actually a subordinating conjunction, meaning it connects two clauses of unequal value to each other.

So, what does that all mean? Well, “as” is a subordinating conjunction, meaning you generally have to follow the clause that starts with “as” with another clause for it to make sense.

For example:

• As I’ve already mentioned.

This is an incomplete sentence and is grammatically incorrect. “As” is used as a subordinating clause, meaning it needs to connect two clauses. For that reason, we always need two clauses in some order for “as” to work.

• There is more to this than meets the eye, as I’ve already mentioned.
• As I’ve already mentioned, there is more to this than meets the eye.

Both of the phrases above are grammatically correct, and you can use them however you choose. They both mean exactly the same thing and are interchangeable with each other.

You can choose to either use “as” at the start of the second clause, like in the first example, or you can use it at the start of the first clause, like in the first example. Both are correct, so choose whichever one you think works better for what you’re writing.

15 Examples Of Proper Ways To Start A Sentence With “As”

While this is all really helpful, we can take this a step further and actually show you examples of proper ways to start a sentence with “as.” As we’ve already mentioned, you can’t start a sentence with “as” unless a second clause is available (like we just did at the start of this sentence).

If you end the first clause with a period that includes “as” at the start, then you’ve made a grammatical error. It’s easy enough to correct. It usually just means you have to include a comma where you put the period to make it flow again.

1. As has been stated, this isn’t government property.
2. As with many things in life, nothing comes for free.
3. As you’re about to find out, this movie is the best.
4. As you’re well aware, we can’t hire any new employees.
5. As time goes by, I get a little bit more confused about things.
6. As I get older, my hair grays, and my brows thicken.
7. As I move away from my family, I remember just how much I love them and how much I’ll miss them.
8. As you’re no doubt aware, you can’t park there for more than one hour.
9. As has already been mentioned, we mustn’t waste time on this.
10. As with all things, happiness is a finite resource that can run out.
11. As is the way of our people, we must stay close to our family.
12. As you’ll soon find out, there isn’t much left here.
13. As I tell you this, I realize that I’m talking utter nonsense.
14. As you sit there listening to me, I realize that you’re bored!
15. As if I knew what to do about it, no one told me!

We use “as” at the start of a sentence as a subordinating conjunction. That means we’re connecting two clauses with each other for it to make sense. Without that second clause, the sentence is grammatically incorrect.

However, there is one other case where we can use “as” at the start of the sentence, and that’s seen in example 15. We can write “as if” in an informal way to mean “I doubt it.”

It’s not common for sentences to start with “as if” in formal situations, so we often avoid using it. However, the following sentence is grammatically correct:

• As if you just told me that!

It has all the ingredients you need to form a sentence, and it starts with the word “as.” Remember, this is an informal exclamation that we use to share our doubts. The sentence translates to mean:

• I can’t believe you just told me that!

Is Starting A Sentence With “As” Bad?

Generally speaking, the idea that starting a sentence with the conjunction “as” is wrong is nothing more than a myth.

It was caused by a bit of confusion related to starting sentences with words like “because,” which are coordinating conjunctions. Even still, you can also start sentences with “because” in much the same way.

It is not bad to start a sentence with “as.” As long as you include a second clause after the first one, you can use “as” in the manner of a subordinating conjunction.

Many native speakers often get confused with the rules of starting a sentence with a conjunction, so it’s no surprise that people learning the language have a hard time.

• Because of my eye problem, I can’t find my car keys.
• As is my luck, I can’t find my car keys.

These examples show us using “because” and “as” at the start of a sentence. Some writers believe these to be incorrect, but there is nothing wrong with either of them grammatically. It’s mostly related to what people prefer to read and write.

Do whatever you think works best for you!

Alternatives To Starting A Sentence With “As”

Finally, let’s go over some alternatives to starting a sentence with “as.” We’ll include a few good ideas that you can replace “as” with if you’re uncomfortable using “as” at the start.

• While

There’s nothing wrong with starting a sentence with “while,” and everyone agrees about that. It’s good to use as an alternative.

• Put the “as” clause after the second clause

Almost all clauses with “as” at the start of the sentence work no matter which order they’re in. If you swap the two clauses round, the sentence still makes sense, and “as” is found in the middle instead.