However
Definition
(adv) : Used to add contrasting or opposite information in a sentence.
Example
"(conj) : She wanted to join the trip; however, her parents said she needed to study first."
"(adv) : It was raining; however, he decided to join the game."
"(adv) : She was nervous about the presentation; she did well, however."
Explanation
However is a word used to show contrast. It tells the reader or listener that something is different, surprising, or opposite to what was said before. As a conjunction, it connects two complete ideas in one sentence (like “but” or “nevertheless”) and usually appears in the middle of a sentence. For example, “She wanted to go outside; however, it started raining” (here, however joins two ideas: wanting to go out but it rained). As an adverb, it adds contrasting information to a sentence, often to show something unexpected, and can appear at the start, middle, or end of a sentence. For example,
- Start: However, he finished his work on time, even though he was very tired.
- Middle: He finished his work on time; however, he was very tired.
- End: He was very tired but finished his work on time, however.
In all cases, however shows that the action is surprising or opposite to what we might expect.