However and but

[limitedperiodonly]

I'm dimly aware that the two are not interchangeable, but why?

I'm not sure - I think you can generally use either, however it depends what you're writing and who it is for.
If I am writing something for a mate, it's usually 'but', however, if I am writing something for college then it tends to be 'however' because I remotely believe this makes me sound more intelligent than I really am!

I believe it's correct form to not use "but" at the start of a sentence. But in popular talk fora such as Mumsnet, such rules of writing may be relaxed. After all, it is a "talk" forum, after all, not a more epistolary form!

Thanks. I used to work with someone who banned use of 'however' in copy. He was okay with 'but' wherever it occurred in the sentence.

It might have been that he thought 'however' was twee but I'm just guessing now.

Sorry, plupervert, who makes these rules you refer to? Lots of good writers use "But" and "And" at the start of a sentence, so we, the users of English, don't need to worry about some mythical authority telling us it's not correct, because it's not.

I am aware of the rule about not starting sentences with and or but.
But I do it all the time anyway...because that's what I would say.

mightyredpen.wordpress.com/2009/10/12/but-but/

I'm not sure "who" makes the "rules", but that's how I understand them, DadDadDad. Don't shoot the messenger!

Naturally, there are people who deploy the "But" and "And" to good literary effect; pictish just demonstrated why it works! However, in law, for example, using "But" to start a sentence would not read quite formally enough (also, in law, sentences are long enough as it is). Language is for use by more than just prosists and stylists, after all!

Our old boss thought 'however' sounded less negative than 'but'. So I told him to kiss my however

iklboo

However, shouldn't it be "howevert"?

As in:
Once there was an elephant,
Who tried to use the telephant.
No, no, I mean an elephone,
Who tried to use the telephone.

However t ' was, he got his trunk
Entangled in the telephunk.
The more he tried to get it free,
The louder buzzed the telephee!

I fear I'd better drop the song
Of elephop and the telephong.

Love that!

Actually, I think, strictly speaking, you shouldn't start a sentence with 'however' either? Or was that just an incredibly superior and pedantic colleague who put me wrong at an impressionable age?

^ I think that was the deal with the person I worked with but I was too craven to ask why.

Thank God I never said, however I was too craven to ask why.