Although, though and however

Let's talk about using 'although', 'though' and 'however' as linking words. They are all used to show
that something is surprising.

'Although' and 'though' are used in exactly the same way and it doesn't matter which one you choose.
'Although' is a little more formal and is less common.

• I liked the holiday although the weather wasn't great.

• Though she was late, we still caught the train.
• It was raining. However, we still went out.

We can use 'although / though' at the beginning of the sentence or in the middle. We usually need a
comma after the clause if we put 'although / though' at the beginning.

• Though he walked a long way, he wasn't tired.

• He wasn't tired though he walked a long way.

We use 'however' at the beginning of a new sentence. Traditionally, it is followed by a comma though
this is not strictly necessary.

• He walked a long way. However, he wasn't tired.

Let's review! Make sentences using 'though' or 'however'.

1. I drank too much coffee ______ I knew it was a bad idea.

2. He looked for his keys for an hour. ______, he didn't find them.
3. ______ she was hungry, she didn't have anything to eat.
4. He won the race ______ he had an injured knee.
5. She was late. ______, she ran all the way.
6. ______ the children were tired, they didn't fall asleep.
7. ______ she worked all day, she still didn't finish everything.
8. He studied hard. ______, he failed the exam.
9. The cleaner was here all day. ______, the house wasn't clean.
10. She went to see her brother. ______, he wasn't at home.
Answers

1. I drank too much coffee though I knew it was a bad idea.

2. He looked for his keys for an hour. However, he didn't find them.
3. Though she was hungry, she didn't have anything to eat.
4. He won the race though he had an injured knee.
5. She was late. However, she ran all the way.
6. Though the children were tired, they didn't fall asleep.
7. Though she worked all day, she still didn't finish everything.
8. He studied hard. However, he failed the exam.
9. The cleaner was here all day. However, the house wasn't clean.
10. She went to see her brother. However, he wasn't at home.