diff --git a/src/main/scala/com/github/verbalexpressions/VerbalExpression.scala b/src/main/scala/com/github/verbalexpressions/VerbalExpression.scala
index ec22c13..44fd1e7 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/com/github/verbalexpressions/VerbalExpression.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/com/github/verbalexpressions/VerbalExpression.scala
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@ package com.github.verbalexpressions
 import java.util.regex.Pattern
 import com.github.verbalexpressions.VerbalExpression._
 
-case class VerbalExpression(prefix: String = "", expression: String = "", suffix: String = "", modifiers: Int = 0) {
+final case class VerbalExpression(prefix: String = "", expression: String = "", suffix: String = "", modifiers: Int = 0) {
 
-  def add(value: String) = copy(expression = expression + value)
+  private[verbalexpressions] def add(value: String) = copy(expression = expression + value)
 
   def andThen(value: StringOrVerbalExp) = add(s"($value)")
   def `then` = andThen _
@@ -33,8 +33,13 @@ case class VerbalExpression(prefix: String = "", expression: String = "", suffix
   def any = anyOf _
 
   def lineBreak = add("(\\n|(\\r\\n))")
-  def startOfLine(enable: Boolean = true) = copy(prefix = if (enable) "^" else "")
-  def endOfLine(enable: Boolean = true) = copy(suffix = if (enable) "$" else "")
+  def mustStartLine() = startOfLine()
+  def lineStartNotMandatory() = startOfLine(false)
+  private[verbalexpressions] def startOfLine(enable: Boolean = true) = copy(prefix = if (enable) "^" else "")
+
+  def mustEndLine() = endOfLine()
+  def endOfLineNotMandatory() = endOfLine(false)
+  private[verbalexpressions] def endOfLine(enable: Boolean = true) = copy(suffix = if (enable) "$" else "")
 
   def or(value: StringOrVerbalExp) = copy("(" + prefix, expression + ")|(" + value, ")" + suffix)
 
diff --git a/src/test/scala/com/github/verbalexpressions/VerbalExpressionSpec.scala b/src/test/scala/com/github/verbalexpressions/VerbalExpressionSpec.scala
index 8e1f85f..63127dd 100644
--- a/src/test/scala/com/github/verbalexpressions/VerbalExpressionSpec.scala
+++ b/src/test/scala/com/github/verbalexpressions/VerbalExpressionSpec.scala
@@ -55,6 +55,16 @@ final class VerbalExpressionSpec extends Specification {
         .startOfLine(false)
         .toString mustEqual "expr"
     }
+
+    "be turned on with 'mustStartLine'" in {
+      VerbalExpression().mustStartLine().toString mustEqual "^"
+    }
+
+    "be turned off with 'lineStartNotMandatory'" in {
+      VerbalExpression("^", "expr")
+        .lineStartNotMandatory()
+        .toString mustEqual "expr"
+    }
   }
 
   "endOfLine" should {