Conjunctive Adverbs
Conjunctive adverbs are not coordinating conjunctions. They can connect clauses, link separate sentences, or comment within a clause, so punctuation depends on where and how they are used rather than on the word alone.
Conjunctive adverbs such as “however,” “therefore,” and “moreover” show a relationship between ideas. When one links two independent clauses in a single sentence, a standard pattern is semicolon before the conjunctive adverb and comma after it.
Key details
Further guidance
Connection
Choose a connector whose meaning matches the relationship: contrast (“however”), result (“therefore”), addition (“moreover”), similarity (“likewise”), and so on.
Other Positions
At the start of a new sentence or parenthetically inside one clause, comma treatment changes with the placement and rhythm of the expression.
Punctuation
For two independent clauses in one sentence, use a semicolon before and a comma after the conjunctive adverb: “The test failed; therefore, we repeated it.”
Worked Example
Incorrect for two independent clauses: “The test failed, however, we repeated it.” Standard repair: “The test failed; however, we repeated it.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Using Conjunctive Adverbs (opens in a new tab)University of Wisconsin–Madison Writing Center · Defines conjunctive adverb functions and gives the semicolon-plus-comma pattern when one connects two independent clauses in a sentence.
- Commas vs. Semicolons (opens in a new tab)Purdue Online Writing Lab · Explains punctuation when transitional expressions such as however, moreover and therefore connect independent clauses.