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Mistu4u
Mistu4u
09:14
@snailboat, I am unable to differentiate when should I use "however" and when "but"; again some people say "yet" is synonym to "however". I am totally confused. Can you enlighten me on it?
 
3 hours later…
Pritam Baral
Pritam Baral
11:48
@Mistu4u "however" is specifically used to show an exception to a statement whereas but is used to introduce anything loosely contrasting.
 
3 hours later…
Anonymous
14:29
@Mistu4u Hmm. That's a complex question.
Anonymous
However and but belong to different syntactic categories. But is a coordinating conjunction, and however is not
Anonymous
However, you can begin a sentence or clause with however, as long as you're willing to set it off with commas :-)
Anonymous
Of course, some prescriptivists decry this usage. Although it's grammatical, some writers just think however at the beginning of a sentence looks or sounds bad.
Anonymous
Since we're setting off however with commas anyway, we can move it around in a sentence: However, I like pie. I, however, like pie. I like pie, however. These have subtly different possible meanings
Anonymous
However, if you want to use it, you can. If, however, you want to use it, you can. If you want to use it, however, you can. If you want to use it, you can, however.
Anonymous
14:33
But is not set off by commas and can't be moved around: But if you want to use it, you can. The following examples are incorrect: *If but you want to use it, you can. *If you want to use it, but you can. *If you want to use it, you can but.
Anonymous
So there's a significant difference in syntax alone. However, they're also different in terms of meaning.
Anonymous
I don't think I can accurately describe the difference without doing some research. I know there are people who've written about the differing discourse functions of but and however.
Anonymous
Obviously the function differs slightly based on position for however, which is not possible for but...
Anonymous
Meaning and syntax aside, however is also more formal... And it can stick out at the beginning of a sentence, especially if you use it a lot.
Anonymous
stanford.edu/~zwicky/however.SemFest.out.pdf
Anonymous
16:39
If you start with the explanations and examples in that paper, you could write up a more precise answer illustrating the difference between but and however.
Anonymous
But it's definitely a difficult question to answer.
Mistu4u
Mistu4u
18:11
Nice explanation @snailboat . Definitely its helpful to a great extent. It seems to me however is kind of On the Contrary or On the other hand, however but is either a total exclusion or an opposite to anything, that say, but includes however but does not always mean however, like consider the following statement I could have gone, but my body did not allow me. Here but is the only option IMO in this sentence.
Anonymous
@Mistu4u Yeah, as Zwicky explains in the PDF I linked to, but is the more general term. It can be used in situations where however cannot
Anonymous
I think, though, that anywhere you can use however, you can use but instead.
Anonymous
In this particular example, I'm not sure. I think you could use however if you broke it into two sentences: I could have gone. However, my body did not allow me. Although I like the single-sentence version with but better :-)
Mistu4u
Mistu4u
@snailboat Yeah that is true. I did not see it earlier. It seems there is always a way around :D
Anyway good night @snailboat and thanks for your help. :) Its 11.47PM here and I should go to bed now. Adios! :)
Anonymous
@Mistu4u Rest well!

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