The punctuation mistake you never knew you were making

Here’s a grammar rule that'll come as a big surprise to many of you: 95% of the time you shouldn’t put a comma before the word however.

Yep, you’ve been punctuating it wrong all these years. We know because we see this mistake all the time. In fact, it’s probably the most common error we see.

Here’s an example of how not to punctuate when using however:

There’s usually no need to book, however please let us know in advance if you’re coming as part of a large group.

This sentence has what’s known in the grammar trade as a comma splice. And the comma splice is up there with the grocer’s (grocers’?) apostrophe as the grammar crime most likely to elicit tuts of derision from the punctuation-conscious reader.

To avoid being branded a comma splice criminal, you have three options.

1. Create two sentences Your best option for punctuating the above sentence would be to break it into two sentences, using a full stop, a capital letter and then a comma:

There’s usually no need to book. However, please let us know in advance if you’re coming as part of a large group.

Remember: Full stop. Cap. Comma.

2. Use but

You could also use but instead of however, with or without a preceding comma:

There’s usually no need to book, but please let us know in advance if you’re coming as part of a large group.
There’s usually no need to book but please let us know in advance if you’re coming as part of a large group.

Ah, but didn’t someone once tell you to always use however instead of but because but is too negative?

Poppycock! Is this use of but negative?

I didn’t think I’d enjoy the play but it was brilliant!

And does the however in this example make the blow any less crushing?

We read your CV with great interest. However, we regret your application was unsuccessful.

The only thing more soul-destroying than this would be to receive a letter saying We read your CV with great interest, however we regret your application was unsuccessful. That sends the message: yes, we’re illiterate, however we still don’t want you!

3. Use a semicolon

You could, of course, use a semicolon instead of a comma:

There’s usually no need to book; however, please let us know in advance if you’re coming as part of a large group.

But who wants to see a semicolon in business writing? They’re just a way to turn two short, punchy sentences into one longer, stuffier one.

Besides, chances are, if you haven’t got your head around comma splices, your grasp of colons and semicolons is likely to be wobbly too.

4. Reorder the sentence

Of course, there are exceptions to the rule that you should never put a comma before however. For example, if you give your however a different position in the sentence: