1. There is not usually any difference between begin and start
- I started/began teaching when I was twenty- two
- If John doesn’t come soon,, let’s start/began without him
We prefer start when we talk about an activity that happens regularly, with “stops and starts”
- It’s starting to rain.
- What time do you start teaching tomorrow morning.
We prefer begin when we talk about long, slow activities, and when we are using a more formal styles
- Very slowly, I began to realize that there was something wrong
- We will begin the meeting with a message from the President
2. Start (not begin) is used to mean:
a. Start a jorney
- I think we ought to start at six, while the roads are empty
b. start working (for machines)
- The car won’t start
c. make (machines) start
- How do you start the washing machine?