however

however

1. When ever is being used as an intensive after the interrogative adverb how, as in How ever did you do it?, the two words should always be written separately.

2. However, in the meaning ‘nevertheless’, has many possible positions in a clause. If it is put at the beginning, it should be followed by a comma:

• I should be angry if the situation were not so farcical. However, I had a certain delight in some of the talk —William Golding, 1980.

This use should be distinguished from however used at the beginning of a sentence as an ordinary adverb meaning ‘no matter how’, which is not followed by a comma:

• However confident he may be that he has outgeneralled a woman, a man likes to have reassurance on the point from a knowledgeable third party —P. G. Wodehouse, 1973.

In mid-sentence, however is preceded and followed by commas. The choice of position depends on the word being emphasized, which is normally the one that comes immediately before however:

• Even with the stimulatory measures, however, the deficit does not seem likely to be excessive in the years to come —Times, 1981

• That, however, is not the point of this essay —weblog, BrE 2005 [OEC].

It is preceded by a comma when it occurs at the end of a sentence:

• The presence of a girl in a group of tipsy young men keeps them in check, however —Lancashire Life, 1978

• None of this is quite as complicated as it sounds, however —computing website, AmE 2005.

3. There are two erroneous uses to guard against: (1) however as a simple substitute for but: ☒ They came for dinner, however they left before ten and (2) a sentence allowed to run on when however should have a capital letter and start a new sentence: ☒ Resources for doing so are not available, however, the matter will be reviewed at a later date.