Writing Tools - Avoid ‘While’, Surround ‘However’ With Commas 

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): There may be many unusual things an editor or a writer is supposed to do. Yet, the more important thing is what they are not supposed to do. The key to good editing is that one must systematically read and reread the draft.

It takes years of practice to get into this maze and come out of it with flying colours. You must walk before you run. Still, a few expressions should be avoided in good writing, because these phrases jumble your sentences without spicing them up.

A conjunction that generally clutters a sentence is “while.” Many modern grammarians and a few authors have discarded this connective, since it has many meanings.

Linguist James Champlin Fernald wrote: While, originated from Anglo-Saxon ‘hwil’ in connective or adverbial use, is an abbreviation of a phrase employing the noun “while,” the while (that is the time) that.

It signifies during the time that; in or within the time that; as long as; while he slept the fire went out; you are safe while I am here.

It also signifies at the same time that; notwithstanding the fact that; though; although; as, while he was severe, he was also just. Here lies the problem.

An authority on the English language Eric Partridge has made it clear that “while” should be legitimately used for “although.”  He wrote: “It should, nevertheless, be avoided if there is danger of confusion with temporal sense, as in “While she is young, she will learn quickly.”

There is a funny example of "while" quoted by Sir Alan Herbert: “The Curate read the first lesson while the Rector read the second.”

HW Fowler was against the use of colourless “while.” In the King’s English he wrote, “Whether with verb or with participle, as a mere elegant variation for and is very characteristic of journalese, and much to be deprecated.”

It is occasionally good at the beginning of a sentence, but in the middle, it creates chaos.

For example, while he was embracing her, the husband arrived with her mother.” This is temporal “while.” Its nontemporal use does a balancing act in a sentence. This is what the grammarians agree about.

How to use ‘However’

Most of the non-native speakers of the English language use this conjunction wrongly, since they use it at the beginning of a sentence, signifying the adversative “but.”

“It may come at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a sentence, but it is best positioned immediately after the item that is held up for contrast,” wrote Partridge.

“However,” should be surrounded by commas, unless it means “no matter how.”  “However,” signifying the same thing as but, is not often interchangeable with it. Since “however” and "but" are identical in meaning, they do not go together. It is, however, unusual, though not wrong, to place “however” at the beginning of a sentence, as well as at the end of a long sentence.

Graham Green: One Must Not Exaggerate His Knowledge, However

However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering of his neighbourhood… Pride and Prejudice, Jean Austin.

Its usual position near the beginning of a sentence.

For example, I, however, cannot understand why the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) should have voted against the Congress. The implication is, I may not but you can.

I cannot, however, understand why the NCP should have voted against the ruling party. It signifies that I can understand other things, but this I cannot understand.

For general contrast, we may use I cannot understand, however, the NCP should have voted against the Congress.

On the other hand, I cannot understand why the NCP, however, should have voted against the ruling party. I can understand why NCP should have voted against the ruling party, but not why the Samajwadi Party should.

This is the reason that “however,” without commas, can cause ambiguity.