“However” and Other Conjunctive Adverbs

Conjunctive Adverbs

Conjunctive adverbs include however, therefore, thus, furthermore, and others.

If you use a conjunctive adverb to join two independent clauses (compound sentence), then use a semicolon, followed by the conjunctive adverb, followed by a comma:

The committee had heard these arguments before; therefore, it turned its attention to other matters. The agency trusted the report; however, the report proved faulty in its scientific method.

Common Mistake

One of the most common mistakes in writing involves the use of a comma (not a semicolon) and a conjunctive adverb to join independent clauses:

Wrong: The agency trusted the report, however the report proved faulty in its scientific method. Right: The agency trusted the report; however, the report proved faulty in its scientific method.

 

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