Conjunctive Adverbs

A conjunctive adverb is a word that joins two sentences or independent clauses. "However," "consequently," and "therefore" are common conjunctive adverbs.

• also, furthermore, incidentally, indeed, likewise, meanwhile, nevertheless, nonetheless

• as a result, as a consequence, for example, on the contrary

Table of Contents

• Examples of Conjunctive Adverbs in Sentences
• Real-Life Examples of Conjunctive Adverbs
• "Find the Conjunctive Adverb" Test
• Video Lesson
• Why Conjunctive Adverbs Are Important
• Test Time!

Conjunctive adverbs are also known as transitional phrases because they act like a bridge (i.e., provide the transition) from one idea to the next idea. They are good for keeping your readers on track with your thinking and creating easy-to-follow texts.

Examples of Conjunctive Adverbs in Sentences

• The instructor's English is poor; consequently , they all failed the exam.
• The instructor's English is poor. Consequently , they all failed the exam.

• Mr. Evans is my father; however , I am not responsible for what he says.
• You failed to meet the deadline. Therefore , the deal is off.

Real-Life Examples of Conjunctive Adverbs

• God could not be everywhere. Therefore , he made mothers. (Author Rudyard Kipling)

• Orthodox medicine has not found an answer to your complaint; however , luckily for you, I happen to be a quack. (Cartoonist Mischa Richter)
• When I took part in European summits, it was unpleasant for me to hear Romanian, Polish, Portuguese and Italian friends speak English, although I admit first contacts can be made in this language. Nevertheless , I will defend everywhere the use of the French language. (Good luck with that, President Francois Hollande.)
• Not all chemicals are bad. For example , without hydrogen and oxygen, there'd be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer. (Author Dave Barry)
• To a pagan, there is no purpose to suffering; as a result , he lives a life of loneliness and frustration. (Mother Mary Angelica)
• I think; therefore , I am. (French philosopher Rene Descartes)

"Find the Conjunctive Adverb" Test

Can You Identify Conjunctive Adverbs ?

Video Lesson

Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer video to text? Here is a list of all our grammar videos.

Why Conjunctive Adverbs Are Important

Using a conjunctive adverb is a great way to keep your readers on track because it prepares them for the impending information by contextualizing it with the story so far. (NB: As conjunctive adverbs provide the logic for the transition between your ideas, they are also known as transitional phrases.) Here's the biggest mistake with conjunctive adverbs: You can't use a comma before one. No, really, you can't. No, really.

• The instructor's English is poor, consequently , they all failed the exam.
• You failed to meet the deadline, therefore , the deal is off.
• I normally like toffees, however , I dislike these ones. (This is a very common mistake, especially with the word however.)

Preceding "however" (or any conjunctive adverb) with a comma and writing a new sentence is known as a run-on error or a comma-fault error. Remember that a conjunctive adverb is typically written with a capital letter and is preceded by the end punctuation (usually a period) of the last sentence. It is possible to use a lowercase letter for your conjunctive adverb and precede it with a semicolon, but don't do that too often. It quickly gets annoying. Read more about using semicolons.

Key Points

• Use a conjunctive adverb at the start of a sentence to provide the transition from one idea to the next.
• If you want a really smooth transition, precede your conjunctive adverb with a semicolon.
• Don't precede your conjunctive adverb with a comma. (And, yes, that includes "however.")

This page was written by Craig Shrives.