Page 201 - 100 Great Copywriting Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

94 START YOUR SENTENCES
WITH AND. OR DON’T

I run regular training courses on copywriting. And every time
I do, there comes a point where we discuss some of the sacred cows
of written (and spoken) English. Reactions from participants range
from knowing nods to looks blending the deepest horror with a
“You can’t really be saying that, can you?” skepticism.

Put your hand up now if your teacher ever told you you shouldn’t
start a sentence with “And.” OK, put it down again. The fact is, you
can do this. A cursory search through any of the classics of English
literature (or the editorial pages of The Economist) will throw up
hundreds of examples. (This goes for “But,” too, by the way.)

The idea

From a client selling mainly to older people
It’s an interesting prejudice, this one. At my children’s school, where
I help out with literacy teaching, the teacher enjoins the children
not to start sentences with And. Yet the books they bring home to
practice their reading are full of And-headed sentences.

Here’s why you should do it. As a device to add punch to a conclusion
or additional point, starting a sentence with And is invaluable to
copywriters. It also helps break up over-long sentences, which are far
more of a no-no. I’ve done it all the way through this book. And I will
probably do it all the way through my next one. But there are times when
it’s not a good idea, and that’s when your reader will react negatively.

In practice, that means people of a conservative turn of mind; let’s
say people over 60. (Though even if your wanton slaughter of their

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