Starting a sentence with "unless" is much the same as starting a sentence with "because." Although our 4th grade teachers told us NEVER TO DO IT (because in 4th grade it often resulted in a fragment) we can write a complete sentence starting with "unless" or "because."
How do you use unless in a sentence?
- [S] [T] Don't move unless I tell you. ( ...
- [S] [T] He never speaks unless spoken to. ( ...
- [S] [T] You'll never know unless you try. ( ...
- [S] [T] He did not speak unless spoken to. ( ...
- [S] [T] I won't go, unless the rain stops. ( ...
- [S] [T] Tom never speaks unless spoken to. ( ...
- [S] [T] Don't speak unless you're spoken to. (
How do you use unless in the beginning?
We use the conjunction unless to mean 'except if'. The clause which follows unless is a subordinate clause (sc): it needs a main clause (mc) to make a complete sentence. When unless comes before the main clause, we use a comma: Unless [SC]it rains, [MC]we'll go for a picnic by the river tomorrow.
