Ch 42 · Lesson 9Spanish · Chapter 42 · Lesson 9 · Grammar primer
Sin embargo is not pero: the comma rule
joins two halves and stays put; starts a new sentence, takes a comma and can move: , .
The short version
takes a comma,
, .
Why?Hide
is a conjunction: it sits at the join between two clauses and cannot move. behaves like an adverb, so it floats behind a comma and can shift position. , and , both work. Swapping one word for the other without fixing the punctuation does not.
Sin embargo is not pero: the comma rule
joins two halves of one sentence and stays at the join. Sin is a connector: it comments on the whole sentence, takes a comma, and can move:
, .- However, he/she didn't come., , .- He/She didn't, however, come to the meeting., .- He/She tried, but didn't come.
When opens the second of two clauses, careful writing puts a full stop or a semicolon before it, not a bare comma:
; , .- I studied hard; however, I didn't pass.
Going further: Connectors at a glance and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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