The most obvious place to use however is at the beginning of a sentence. But, as the Elements of Style author Strunk noted, however, can lose its grace when used habitually. Consequently, it is important to pay special attention to how to use however in a sentence.
Using Coordinating Conjunctions Use However
“However,” a conjunction, is usually followed by a comma. It’s used to connect two independent clauses, but not when it’s used as a standalone adverb. The word should be enclosed in commas whenever possible. If you do not want to include a comma after “however,” you can omit it entirely.
The word “however” is often confused with the word “but.” Although they both mean the same thing, they are not the same. “However” is an adverb, while “but” is an auxiliary conjunction. Both words are used to connect two ideas. Therefore, when you use them together, “however” should be used before the adverb, and ‘but’ should come after the auxiliary verb.
However, is often used by writers to add contrast. However, it’s important to check whether you’re using it correctly. It’s best to avoid using it at the beginning of a sentence unless you really want to emphasize the point. In addition, when using however as a comma, you should surround it with a comma to make it stand out and create emphasis.
However, is a versatile word. While it can mean ‘nevertheless’, it’s also used to mean ‘but’ an ‘yet’. Some writers do not use it, though, because they don’t want to offend readers. However, this does not have to stop you from using it if you know how to use it properly.
However, can be used as a conjunctive adverb when starting a sentence. However is also a coordinating conjunction, which means it can join two clauses or modify a clause. Modern sources suggest starting a sentence with “however” is okay, but many people learned the hard way to avoid this word.
Using Comma Use However
The word “however” is often used in a sentence to emphasize a point, but it is not always the correct place to use it. The best place for however is after the first independent clause or a contrastive adverb. In either case, the comma should follow the word before and after the, however.
The comma after however is used in two ways: as an adverb and as a conjunctive adverb. Depending on the context, however, can be used either way. A comma after however is used to emphasize a sentence’s main idea, which may be a negative one.
In some situations, however, is used as a conjunctive adverb, which joins two main clauses. In such cases, it should be followed by a comma, but a semicolon is often used instead. If the sentence is longer than a sentence, a semicolon is more appropriate.
Using a comma after however in a sentence is an excellent way to set off an appositive, or “adjective.” Appositives are words that repeat the preceding noun, thereby approving its meaning. For example, “cheetah” means “the fastest land animal.”
The traditional rule for using a comma after however in a sentence is that the adverb should not be used at the beginning of a sentence. However, most style guides consider this rule old-fashioned. The adverbs in this position act as conjunctions, and therefore they can be used at the beginning or the end of a sentence.
Similarly, a comma should be used after the adjective that directly follows the last clause. In this case, the adjectives should be equally important. Therefore, a comma should be used between lively and happy. However, not all adjective pairs are coordinated.