This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Achmad in Suriname. He asks:
本周，在“请教老师”节目中，我们回答了来自苏里南的艾哈迈德的问题。他问：
Can you start a sentence with “because” or “and”? -Achmad, Suriname
你能用“because”或“and”开始一个句子吗？ -艾哈迈德，苏里南
Hello Achmad,
你好艾哈迈德，
Earlier this year on Ask a Teacher, we answered a reader who asked if sentences can begin with “and.” The answer is yes. You can find the full answer on that program , which ran on January 8.
今年早些时候，我们在《请教老师》节目中回答了一位读者的提问，他询问句子是否可以以“and”开头。答案是肯定的。您可以在 1 月 8 日播出的该节目中找到完整答案。
Today, let’s talk about “because.”
今天我们就来说说“因为”。
The word “because” is a conjunction that means “for the reason that.” A conjunction is a word that joins other words or groups of words in a sentence.
“because”这个词是一个连词，意思是“因为……”。连词是在句子中连接其他单词或单词组的单词。
To answer your question: Yes, you can start a sentence with “because.” However, to be a complete sentence, it must express a complete thought.
回答你的问题：是的，你可以用“because”开始一个句子。然而，要成为一个完整的句子，它必须表达一个完整的思想。
Here are some examples of complete sentences beginning with “because”:
以下是一些以“because”开头的完整句子的示例：
Because I was happy, I smiled.
因为我很高兴，所以我笑了。
Because of the severe storm, my internet went down.
由于暴风雨的影响，我的网络中断了。
Notice the punctuation marks. There are commas in the middle of the sentences and periods at the end. When we start complete sentences with “because,” this is how we punctuate them.
注意标点符号。句子中间有逗号，句末有句号。当我们用“because”开始完整的句子时，我们就是这样标点它们的。
By themselves, “because I was happy” and “because of the severe storm” are not complete sentences. But that does not mean they are not acceptable. In English, we begin many answers to questions in speaking and informal writing with the word “because.”
“因为我很高兴”和“因为暴风雨”本身并不是完整的句子。但这并不意味着它们不被接受。在英语中，我们在口语和非正式写作中回答许多问题时都以“because”一词开头。
For example, suppose you are answering a friend’s text message. Listen to this question and the answer:
例如，假设您正在回复朋友的短信。听听这个问题和答案：
Why did you smile?
你为什么微笑？
Because I was happy
因为我很高兴
Or, imagine your coworker is asking about your internet:
或者，想象一下您的同事正在询问您的互联网情况：
Why did your internet go down?
为什么你的网络断了？
Because of the storm
因为暴风雨
Notice that I did not put a period after the responses that began with “because.” They are not full sentences. But in informal writing, such as texts or informal emails, some English speakers do put periods after incomplete sentences.
请注意，我没有在以“因为”开头的回复后面加上句号。它们不是完整的句子。但在非正式写作中，例如文本或非正式电子邮件，一些说英语的人确实会在不完整的句子后面加上句号。