‘However’ and commas

Here’s a simple grammar principle that’s well worth remembering:

Where there is ‘however’, there should always be a comma nearby.

That comma can come in one of two places, and over the next few minutes, I’ll help you make that choice of locations as simple as possible. 

Location 1: When ‘however’ means ‘but’

Take a look at these examples:

We climbed all day yesterday. However, we only ascended a few feet.

I heard you enjoy fishing. I’m not so keen on it, however.

This has been a wonderful day. I am, however, beginning to feel tired.

In the first example, ‘however’ can be directly swapped for ‘but’, and the meaning of the sentence will stay the same:

We climbed all day yesterday, but we only ascended a few feet.

In the other sentences, if we move ‘however’ to the start of the sentence, we can do the same thing. Yet again, the meaning of each sentence would stay the same:

I heard you enjoy fishing, but I’m not so keen on it.

This has been a wonderful day, but I am beginning to feel tired.

In all these examples where ‘however’ can be swapped for ‘but’, we can now notice the location of the commas. They separate ‘however’ from the rest of the sentence so that ‘however’ sits alone. This means that the commas can come before, after, or on either side of ‘however’ depending on whether ‘however’ comes at the end, the beginning, or in the midst of the sentence, respectively.

Wherever ‘however’ is placed, this is the vital point to remember: If ‘however’ can be swapped for ‘but’, a comma separates ‘however’ from the rest of the sentence so that ‘however’ sits alone.

This is our first comma location.

Location 2: When ‘however’ means ‘no matter how’

Take a look at these examples:

However long it takes, get the job done.

I’d like you to finish everything, however hard that turns out to be.

I’ll bring it all, however much we need, to the gathering tomorrow.

In each of these examples, ‘however’ can be swapped for ‘no matter how’, and the meaning of the sentence will stay the same:

No matter how long it takes, get the job done.

I’d like you to finish everything, no matter how hard that turns out to be.

I’ll bring it all, no matter how much we need, to the gathering tomorrow.

Notice the commas. Unlike the previous location, where the commas only separated ‘however’ from the rest of the sentence, in this situation, ‘however’ introduces a phrase, and that entire phrase is separated from the rest of the sentence. Yet again, commas will come before, after, or on either side of the phrase depending on its location in the sentence.

But wherever the phrase is placed, this is the vital point to remember: If ‘however’ can be swapped for ‘no matter how’, a comma separates the entire phrase that ‘however’ introduces, so that the phrase sits apart from the rest of the sentence.

This is our second comma location.

And, guess what, there’s no room for confusion.

Notice that the examples of the first location would make no sense if ‘however’ were swapped for ‘no matter how’ instead of ‘but’:

We climbed all day yesterday. No matter how we only ascended a few feet.

The inverse is true of any example from the second location:

But long it takes, get the job done.

This fact makes me feel particularly confident about my choice of comma location. 

In summary

This is the first thing to remember:

Where there is ‘however’, there should always be a comma nearby.

Then remember that there are two possible places for that comma to go.

If ‘however’ can be swapped for ‘but’, a comma separates ‘however’ from the rest of the sentence so that ‘however’ sits alone.

If ‘however’ can be swapped for ‘no matter how’, a comma separates the entire phrase that ‘however’ introduces, so that the phrase sits apart from the rest of the sentence.

It’s as simple as that. I hope this solves one more comma-placement conundrum and makes your writing process a little easier.

Happy writing!

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