Q&A for How to Use However

Return to Full Article

Coming soon

Add New Question

Question

What's the proper use of could and would?

Donagan

Top Answerer

The simplest answer is that "could" is the past tense of "can," and "would " is the past tense of "will" or "shall." It's more involved than that, however, and your best option is to look up those words in a dictionary.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 3 Helpful 24
Question

What is the proper use of "hence"?

Donagan

Top Answerer

"Hence" means "therefore": "The situation scared me; hence the weapon I carried." It also means "in the future": "It occurred three years hence" (three years from now).

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 3 Helpful 18
Question

Can we use "but" and "however" interchangeably?

Donagan

Top Answerer

They are similar but not identical in meaning and thus are not interchangeable. One difference is that you can start a sentence with "however" but not with "but." (There are other differences, too.)

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 2 Helpful 10
Question

Should there be a comma in this sentence?: It has however been observed that...

Donagan

Top Answerer

Yes, place commas before and after "however." This should read as: "It has, however, been observed that..."

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1
Question

Is the word "however" used correctly in the statement: "We need to clear the air. However, we are upset"?

Donagan

Top Answerer

"However" typically indicates a change of thought. You might say, "We need to clear the air because we are upset" or "since we are upset."

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0
Question

Is the sentence "This is not to minimize their effects; however, since they can be quite bothersome" correct? How should the punctuation look?

Donagan

Top Answerer

Change the semi-colon to a comma.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0
Question

Is it mandatory to set off "however" with commas in the middle of a sentence, or can it be used only after a conjunction?

Donagan

Top Answerer

In the middle of a sentence, "however" should be preceded and followed by commas, regardless of what word precedes it. It would not normally follow a conjunction.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0