Common Writing Errors 4: The Proper Use of ‘However’

Hello Everyone

Sometimes, it seems to me that a common writing error decides to swarm for no apparent reason. In the last week, one error in particular infected a few online articles I read, some of which were from reputable sources. That error was an apparent inability to use the word ‘however’ correctly.

(Source here)

A news article about the use of iPads in schools had the following:

She denied the school had an exclusivity agreement with Apple, however details about how to buy Apple products remain on the school's website.

There are two separate ideas in this sentence and a full stop or a semi-colon should have separated them:

She denied the school had an exclusivity agreement with Apple. However, details about how to buy Apple products remain on the school's website.

She denied the school had an exclusivity agreement with Apple; however, details about how to buy Apple products remain on the school's website.

Note the use of a comma after ‘however’ in both versions. This is the proper way to punctuate a conjunctive adverb, which normally acts to join two independent clauses.

Another article made the mistake of not using the comma when faced with the same ‘two independent clauses’ structure:

They were probably used as ritual or ceremonial objects; however these artifacts were important for the expansion of a civilization as well.

In other parts of this article ‘however’ was used to introduce an independent clause and a comma was used as it should be:

However, it is unlikely that the jade axes were used to cut large quantities of wood.

If you hadn’t realised, this is the same structure as the first italicised sentence above.

Of course, the adverb itself can be used in the middle of a sentence, as in the following case:

Objects like the Canterbury jade axehead, however, were not used for farming, they were symbols of status.

This sentence, however, has another type of error. It actually contains two independent clauses and the comma after ‘farming’ should be a semi-colon:

Objects like the Canterbury jade axehead, however, were not used for farming; they were symbols of status.

One of the times a comma isn’t used with ‘however’ is when the word is part of a dependent clause, as in the sentence below:

However you define it, success relies on a mix of talent, hard work, and luck.

Then there's the construction in the illustration below, where 'however' is part of a noun phrase:

(Source here)

I hope these examples clarify the usage of ‘however’ for you. If you have any other grammar problems you want me to tackle, please let me know in the comments.

Thanks, and warm wishes

Earl

Cyfaredd 22: Arrival in Moffat

Haia Pawb

The drive from Ynys Môn to Moffat, Scotland, my next research venue, took over five hours, with a couple of rest stops along the way. When I left Ynys Mon and travelled towards Scotland, North Wales was in bright sunshine, but the weather became colder and greyer the farther north I went.

The Menai Suspension Bridge (opened 1826) over the Menai Strait, which is at low tide

The Britannia Bridge (opened 1850) and some Welsh sheep

Clouds, mist and landscape, Moffat

During my last trip to Moffat, I stayed at The Bonnington Hotel, which is on the main street of the town. I enjoyed the hospitality and convenience of the place so much I decided to book there again. Paul and Lesley, the proprietors, remembered me from last time and were again welcoming and helpful.

The Bonnington Hotel on High Street

Moffat (from the Scottish Gaelic Am Magh Fada, ‘The Long Plain’) was a centre of the wool trade and was also a popular spa town. In the town’s marketplace is a statue of a ram by the sculptor William Brodie, which commemorates Moffat’s wool trade importance. The ram was presented to the town by William Colvin, a local businessman, in 1875.

The Moffat Ram--the ears have been missing since 1875

The High Street looking up from The Bonnington

The High Street looking down from The Bonnington

The Moffat Post Office, from where I sent home, on both trips, packages of books and gifts

As some of you may realize, I have not indulged in my love of jackdaws for a number of postings. However, here's another instalment. After I checked in, I went to my room to unpack and when I looked out my window I noticed a few jackdaws on nearby rooftops. Suddenly, a whole flight of them decided to put on a display for me, I kid you not, for the next half an hour. Below are some photos I took of their aerobatics and antics:

After dinner from the local chipper, I spent the evening writing up notes and preparing my research schedule for the next few days. My next posting will feature an account of a wet climb up a nearby landmark.

That’s it for now. As always, I hope you’re enjoying these posts and I welcome any comments.

Cofion Cymes

Earl

Cyfaredd 21: Research on Ynys Môn: Day Four

Haia Pawb

Today I was to leave Ynys Môn and drive up to Scotland for the next stage of my research trip. However, before leaving the island, I planned to visit the complex at Lligwy, which comprised a prehistoric burial chamber, a Roman-British farmstead (Din Lligwy) and the remains of a medieval chapel, Capel Lligwy. I planned to focus on the farmstead, as it might help me with some scenes set in a similar environment, though at a later stage than the Roman occupation of Ynys Môn.

Path to the settlement, with wildflowers

Information board

Video of the site

Artist impression of the settlement

I enjoyed my time, largely on my own, wandering around the farmstead. I measured out and sketched the layout of the site and its various buildings, something I hadn’t done at other sites and now kicked myself for not doing those times. As I did this, under a cloudy sky and in a coolness that refreshed, I felt quite grounded and content, the place and the work being what I was meant to do.

One of the roundhouses

Another video

I might be able to use the layout as a foundation for the plan for the Iron Age village in the beginning of my novel. I quite like the idea of a pentagon-shape for the village, five being one of the sacred numbers of the Celts.

Layout of the settlement

Given that my central character is connected to blacksmithing, the artist’s impression of the smithy in the site gave me a few ideas about structure, size, etc. The smithy itself was set in the ground, as if one is stepping into the earth, towards the darkness of the forge, towards the Otherworld, when engaging in the magical work of creating tools from molten iron.

The artist impression of the smithy

The smithy

Another view of the smithy

The site itself is a perfect example of the prospect-refuge theory Alan Garner mentioned in the talk I wrote about some time ago. Although the photos show trees blocking the view of the surrounding areas, this apparently wasn’t the case during the time of the farmstead’s use.

View of surrounding area taken during the walk to the settlement

I then moved onto the tomb. The small structure, made from quite large rocks, is set deep into the ground. After a moment’s meditation, I crawled inside and sat silently on the packed dirt floor contemplating my novel and listening to the whispers of the Atlantic wind.

Information board at the site

The tomb

View of the tomb from the other side

Inside the tomb

My reveries was cut short by a plane overhead:

Fuzzy shot of RAF planes on their training run

inside the ancient tomb

dirt and silence

scream of fighter jet

As my novel is set centuries before the medieval period, and time was running out, I didn’t investigate the chapel, except for taking some distant photos.

Capel Lligwy

That’s it for now. As always, I hope you’re enjoying these posts and I welcome any comments.

Cofion Cymes
Earl

Cyfaredd 20: Research on Ynys Môn: Day Three

Haia Pawb

This was my last complete day on Ynys Môn and it featured a mix of research and social activities.

The first thing I did was visit Oriel Ynys Môn, the museum and arts centre located in Llangefni. I had come to see the History Gallery, which gives an introduction to the island’s past through sound, imagery, reconstructions and real artefacts, including replicas of the finds from Llyn Cerrig Bach. After my conversations with Eflyn about her father’s discovery of these Iron Age artefacts and my visit to the site (during my previous trip to Ynys Môn), I wanted to see them myself, even if only replicas, the originals currently being held in St Fagan’s National Museum in Cardiff.

Replica of slave chain found at Llyn Cerrig Bach

Iron age artefacts

The History Gallery also contained finds and information about other aspects of Ynys Môn history and pre-history, including the Battle for Ynys Môn during the Roman invasion of the island circa 60AD.

Artist rendition of the battle

The exhibit for this battle included an audio of a translation of the report by the Roman historian Tacitus:

Along the shore stood the enemy in a close-packed array of armed men interspersed with women dressed like Furies in funeral black, with streaming hair and brandishing torches. Round about were the Druids, their hands raised to heaven, pouring out dire curses. The Roman troops were so struck with dismay at this weird sight that they became rooted to the spot as though their limbs were paralysed and laid themselves open to wounds. Then, bolstered by the encouragements of their commander and urging one another not to be afraid of this mass of fanatical women, they advanced with their standards, cut down all they met, and enveloped them in the flames of their own torches. After this a garrison was imposed on the conquered natives, and the groves devoted to their savage rites cut down; for it was part of their religion to drench their altars with the blood of captives and to consult their gods by means of human entrails.

Tacitus Annals XIV, 29-30

I then drove to Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch (apparently, at 58 characters the longest place name in Europe and the second longest official one-word place name in the world) to meet my Welsh teacher Anna and her husband Steve, who just happened to be back in Wales visiting family. (Anna teaches Welsh on a Tuesday night at The Celtic Club in Melbourne.)

Station sign, with approximate pronunciation

Translation of the name

After coffee at a café, we headed off to Ynys Llanddwyn, a small tidal island located at the far end of a pleasant beach near Newborough Warren. On the way there, we stopped off in blustery, drizzly weather to see Llys Rhosyr, one of the  Llysoedd or Royal courts of Llywelyn Fawr, Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Gwynedd in the 13^th century. It is situated near Newborough Parish Church on the road leading to Ynys Llanddwyn.

Information board showing a reconstruction of some of the buildings on the site.

Part of the excavation.

Only a quarter of the site has been excavated at this time.

Another information board, showing the llys (court) layout

After we wandered around the site for a short while, the inhospitable weather sent us back to our car and we drove onto Ynys Llanddwyn.

The name Llanddwyn means ‘The church of St. Dwynwen’. Dwynwen is the Welsh patron saint of lovers, making her the Welsh equivalent of St. Valentine. Her feast day, 25 January, is often celebrated by the Welsh with cards and flowers. After various trials, as she tried to unite with her lover, Dwynwen retreated to the island to live the life of a hermit. There are ruins of her chapel on the island but, unfortunately, the tide was coming in after our walk along the beach and we couldn’t get to the island.

View of Ynys Llanddwyn as we walked along the beach, the drizzle having abated for a while.

The tide coming in

Close up of an outcrop near the island

Another one of my texture/colour studies

On the way back, we took one of the many paths through the sand dunes and discussed the vegetation and the birds around us. One thing I got out of the experience was the smell of gorse—like vanilla or coconut. For all my time in Wales and my interest in its flora, so I could use it in my writing, I realised I had paid more attention to the visual environment around me than to the other senses. Our conversation revealed the differences between two plants of similar colour blooms:

Gorse = a scent, yellow flowers, spikey vegetation

Broom = no scent, yellow flowers, no spikes

Gorse thicket near Aberystwyth

Gorse Inflorescence (source)

Gorse Spines (source)

Broom (source)

Broom flowers @ Ray Woods/PlantLife (source)

Afterwards, we went to The Ship Inn (formerly called Cei Bach, Little Quay and Hen Cei, Old Quay) at Red Wharf Bay for a late meal and discussions, with sampling, about whiskies and their trips to Speyside and Islay for various whiskey festivals and distilleries.

Location Map (source)

Traeth Coch (Red Beach), known in English as Red Wharf Bay (source)

The Ship Inn (source)

We then parted ways, Anna and Steve to head back to Wrexham and I drove back to the Harbour Hotel for my last night on Ynys Môn.

That’s it for now. As always, I hope you’re enjoying these posts and I welcome any comments.

Cofion Cynnes

Earl