Shortcut or Trap? · #9

Find the contrast first.

Reading & WritingHowever and the semicolon

#9 · Find the contrast first

The question. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

Tickets sold out in an hour. The reviews were ______ critics called the plot thin.

harsh; however,
harsh, however;
harsh, however,
harsh however

The usual pattern. With words like however, therefore, and instead between two independent clauses (each could stand on its own as a sentence), the usual pattern is a semicolon before the word and a comma after it: "It rained all day; however, the game went on." However signals a contrast, like but, and here the contrast is between the two clauses: it rained, but the game went on. So the semicolon goes before however.

Watch out: Check what however contrasts

The usual pattern gives A. But A makes however contrast the two clauses on either side of it. For a quick meaning check, think but: "The reviews were harsh, but critics called the plot thin." That doesn't work. Calling the plot thin backs up the statement that the reviews were harsh; it doesn't contrast with it.

The real contrast is with the sentence before: tickets sold out, but the reviews were harsh. So however belongs with "The reviews were harsh." You can hear it by moving however to the front of its clause:

Tickets sold out in an hour. However, the reviews were harsh; critics called the plot thin.

Putting however at the end of that same clause keeps the meaning: "The reviews were harsh, however; critics called the plot thin." The semicolon then separates that clause from the one that explains it. The answer is B.

A semicolon joins two independent clauses. However isn't a joining word: it sits inside one of the two clauses, and its meaning tells you which one. So A has the right kind of punctuation but the wrong meaning, C joins the two clauses with commas alone (a comma splice), and D has no punctuation between them at all.

The basic case: a comma alone isn't enough

Think but for the meaning, but don't copy its punctuation:

"It rained all day, but the game went on." Correct. But is a joining word (so are and, or, so, and yet), so a comma is enough.
"It rained all day, however, the game went on." Incorrect: two independent clauses joined by commas alone.
"It rained all day; however, the game went on." Correct, and so is a period: "It rained all day. However, the game went on."

Inside one clause, and the other transition words

In the middle of one clause, commas are right. "The reviews, however, were harsh." Here there is only one clause, so there is nothing for a semicolon to separate.
The same check works for the other transition words. Therefore, instead, as a result, and in fact follow the same pattern. Before you place the semicolon, ask which clause the word belongs to.

This question type is on the test: the College Board's framework has students join clauses "using appropriate punctuation and, in some cases, a conjunction or conjunctive adverb," and its own question bank includes a hard question built exactly this way, with the semicolon after however. Prep guides such as UWorld teach the semicolon-before pattern.

The takeaway: find the contrast first. Decide which clause however belongs to, then place the semicolon between the two independent clauses.

See all 12 shortcuts

Practice more like this

Study Scout brings back the question types you miss until they stick, with a tutor for every miss.

Get my study plan

Free for 10 days, no credit card. Nothing is charged unless you pick a plan.