How To Use However At The Start Of A Sentence

The roads were almost impassable.

How to use however at the start of a sentence. The question i get asked most frequently about however is whether it is ok to use however at the beginning of a sentence and the answer is yes. Always put a comma after the however and follow it with a complete sentence. Strunk white urges writers to shun however at the beginning of a sentence. However without a comma. You are allowed to start a sentence with however many usages guides have tried to restrict the usage of however suggesting it cannot start a sentence be used with but or replace nevertheless but none of these guides can agree and there is ample historical evidence of however being used at the start of a sentence.

Avoid starting a sentence with however when the meaning is nevertheless the word usually serves better when not in first position. Begin a contrasting statement with however. You just need to know when to use a comma and when to use a semicolon. When placed at the beginning of a sentence the word however is intended to mean but or on the other hand when you put however at the end of a sentence the word can mean an aside by the writer. Usage experts disagree on whether it is ok to open a sentence with the term and some feel that the term should be kept to a minimum in general since using but or yet is less obtrusive cook 28 29.

After a while however he gave the rope a quick jerk. Some old school grammar books will tell you not to use however at the beginning of sentence as a connector or as a transition from the previous sentence. To introduce a sentence that contradicts or contrasts with the previous sentence start it with however this will alert your reader that a shift is forthcoming. Now however more and more wealth is tied up in intangibles such as intellectual property patents brands media and contracts. However the woman and her husband were leaving to continue a summer long trip westward.

It can join main clauses and it can modify a clause. The comma is important because however is a conjunctive adverb that can be used in two different ways. In some cases you might wish to start a sentence with however. Both uses require a comma after a word at the beginning of a sentence and before the word when it is used at the end.