# Common Grammar Rule Myths or Misperceptions

Some English grammar rules are ambiguous and debatable. Various grammar guides and experts sometimes differ when it comes to certain rules. Most experts come to a common consensus in regards to many of these ambiguous rules, while others simply become style choices when there does not seem to be a common opinion. Some of these complicated rules have also evolved or changed over time and can therefore become misperceptions.

This section includes some of the most common misperceptions in regards to grammar rules:

Misperception: Do not end a sentence with a preposition.
  Description: There is simply more to it than that. The rule is really that you should not end a sentence with a preposition when the sentence would mean the same thing if you left off the preposition. However, there are instances where it is better to end a sentence with a preposition. Examples of prepositions include: about, above, after, below, before, between, except, for, from, in, off, on, onto, out, to, until, with, without.

  Rules to follow: Do not end a sentence with a preposition if removing it would not change the meaning. Also, it is better to end a sentence with a preposition that cannot be removed than to make the sentence sound awkward trying to avoid it.

  Example 1: The new location in the same repository you are switching to. [OK]

  Example 2: The new location in the same repository to which you are switching. [AWKWARD]

Misperception: Do not split infinitives.
  Description: An infinitive is a two-word form of a verb, such as "to read" or "to understand". There is a common misperception that you should not split infinitives, but there is actually nothing wrong with doing so, although in technical writing it often means that you are adding an unnecessary word. There are quite a few instances where using split infinitives add meaning to a sentence. A common example is the phrase "to better understand". Including the word "better" certainly adds some meaning. There are usually other ways to include these types of powerful words without using them to split infinitives, but you also want to avoid awkward sentences.

  Rules to follow: Even though there is nothing grammatically wrong with splitting infinitives, in technical writing, it is safer to avoid them, if possible. However, you should also avoid creating awkward sentences by trying too hard to avoid splitting infinitives. If you need to use an extra word to add meaning and using that extra word to split an infinitive makes the sentence less awkward than the alternatives, keep the split infinitive.

  Example 1: You can also customize the actions in the toolbar to better suit your needs. [OK]

  Example 2: You can also customize the actions in the toolbar to suit your needs better. [AWKWARD]

Misperception: Do not start a sentence with adverbs (such as "Also" or "However").
  Description: This rule is highly debated and often becomes a matter of style choice, but it also depends on the type of adverb and proper punctuation is important. An adverb describes, modifies, or provides more information about a verb, and they usually end in "ly". In general, you should not begin sentences with common adverbs. However, this is not the case with conjunctive adverbs. These adverbs are used as transitions between sentences, they often can move almost anywhere in a sentence, and it is absolutely acceptable to begin a sentence with most conjunctive adverbs as long as you use proper punctuation (they should be followed by a comma).

  Rules to follow: It is fine to begin a sentence with most conjunctive adverbs as long as they are followed by a comma. As a general rule, you should not begin a sentence with any other type of adverb.

  Examples of conjunctive adverbs that are acceptable to begin a sentence with: Accordingly, Also, Consequently, Finally, For example, For instance, Furthermore, Hence, However, Incidentally, In fact, In other words, Instead, Likewise, Meanwhile, On the contrary, On the other hand, Otherwise, Nevertheless, Next, Nonetheless, Similarly, Therefore, Thus. Remember that if you begin a sentence with any of these, they need to be followed by a comma.

Misperception: Do not start a sentence with conjunctions.
  Description: This is one of those rules in English grammar where most people are taught that it is wrong, but most experts agree that it is acceptable to do so. However, even though it is technically acceptable, it does not mean that it should be done because it could lead to incomplete sentences, it can sound quite monotonous, and it is often perceived as being unprofessional and irritating to the reader. Ultimately, it really depends on the type of writing and it becomes a style choice. For example, it is far more acceptable and common in general writing than in technical writing.

  Rules to follow: In technical writing, it is only appropriate to begin sentence with certain subordinating conjunctions, but never with coordinating conjunctions. In most cases, you do not use a comma after a subordinating conjunction that begins a sentence and the most important thing to remember is that you need to avoid sentence fragments.

  Examples of conjunctions that are acceptable to begin a sentence with (AS LONG AS IT DOES NOT LEAD TO A SENTENCE FRAGMENT): Certain subordinating conjunctions ("after", "although", "as soon as", "because", "before", "even though", "if", "in case", "now that", "once", "since", "though", "unless", "until", "when" "whenever", "while").

  Examples of conjunctions that you should NOT begin a sentence with: All coordinating conjunctions ("and", "or", "but", "nor", "so", "for", "yet"), along with some subordinating conjunctions ("so that", "than", "why"). Again, the most important thing is to avoid sentence fragments.

Misperception: Paragraphs must include more than one sentence.
  Description: A paragraph can be a single sentence. There is no rule against it and if you can say what you need to say in a single sentence that lacks a direct connection with other sentences, it is better to stop there and go to a new paragraph.

  Rules to follow: All the sentences in a paragraph should have some sort of logical connection, but you also do not want the paragraphs to be so long that your readers feel like they are facing an endless wall of text and skip important information. There is nothing wrong with only including one sentence in a paragraph, especially in technical writing, but you also do not want to arbitrarily create multiple, sequential paragraphs with a single sentence when their ideas are clearly connected.