RE: Can we start a sentence with "or" or "and" in a manual

["Handy, David" <dhandy -at- Informatica -dot- com>]

In short, I believe that yes, we can do this. I start sentences with OR
in tech docs regularly. 

"You can grind your coffee beans at Starbucks. Or you can grind them
yourself at home." 

I think that's fine. 

If there's any sense to the old rule against using conjunctions this
way, it may be this: don't start a piece of text - a chapter, a section,
anything that introduces an idea or procedure - with a conjunction. That
is, don't start a sentence with a conjunction if the reader can't
immediately tell what came before the conjunction. 

Hope this helps,
David


-----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+steve -dot- janoff2=teradata -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+steve.janoff2 
> <techwr-l-bounces%2Bsteve.janoff2>=
> teradata -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com]
> On Behalf Of Catherine, Jennita
> Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:47 PM
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: Can we start a sentence with "or" or "and" in a manual
>
>
> Hello there!
>
> I am really confused with this... Can we start a sentence with "and" 
> or "or". Please let me know your suggestions.
>
> Thanks much!
> Jennita
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