Instant Quiz

Can you improve the sentence below? Scroll to the bottom of today’s post for the answer.    

We ate lunch under a tree, then we looked for shells on the beach.

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Like many writers, I spend a lot of time arguing about edits. What’s unusual is that most of the time I’m arguing with myself.

The word “so” is an example, especially when it’s the first word of a sentence. Some experts argue against using “so” that way:

So, what should we do about the overflow?  WEAK
What should we do about the overflow?  BETTER

I dutifully remove “so” every time – and then, more often than not, I put it back. Does that make me a bad writer? I don’t think so.

That initial “so” has two virtues worth noting. One is that it adds flow. A second is that it gives writing a conversational feel. Here’s an example:

During the pandemic, many businesses allowed employees to work from home. So it’s no surprise that so many workers are reluctant to return to their cubicles.

You know more about English than you think you do! Trust your good judgment. English is  always growing and changing. Your most important writing tools are your brains and your language experience.

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You can’t join two sentences with “then.” (The only words that can join sentences are the FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet so.)

Most of the time, and and but will do the job for you.

We ate lunch under a tree, and then we looked for shells on the beach.  CORRECT