Use of "However" in Engineering Reports 8

[RFreund]

Do you use "However" in engineering reports? For example...

The water stains indicate that moisture has infiltrated the floor cavity. However, the recent roof repairs may have resolved this issue.
Or
The water stains indicate that moisture has infiltrated the floor cavity. The recent roof repairs may have resolved this issue.

I typically take out the "however". However , it might help make the point that you are a weighing one fact against another.

Thanks

 

[KootK]

- I'm fine with "however" and use it in my own work.

- To my knowledge, it doesn't create any weird liability issues.

- I share the impulse to be as concise as possible but, at the same time, feel that concision should not come at the expense of clear communication which includes the subtler shades of tone and meaning.

 

[dik]

Not often, but I do occasionally. I also use the sentence construction where 'however' is not the first word in a sentence... from Gradeschool English..."The recent roof repairs, however, may have resolved this issue..."

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[LuK13]

I like to use however when I need to make two different conclusions and I have important information that may mean different things to different portions of my work.

Example:

The damage to the roof framing is a result of snow load

The rafters as built are over spanned for current code required snow loads (will be important when I get to scope of repair)

However, I pulled snow records for the entire time this person has owned the house and snow accumulation never approached the as-built capacity (important for insurance claim purposes)

Then I can get into the weeds on construction defects that were contributing factors, are there any signs that the damage has been exacerbated by recent storms? is that reasonable once you factor in construction defects?.

To me the however signifies an important pivot point in my reasoning. I have read a few reports from other engineers that feel like every other sentence starts with a however and it drives me nuts. I maybe use however once or twice in a report. Any more than that and you can probably lay out your thought process in a cleaner way that doesn't require so many pivots.

 

[kipfoot]

I like 'however' here. It makes the sentences more conversational, readable, and connects two important ideas together. The flow of the sentences without it is choppy and disjointed, in my opinion.

 

[bridgebuster]

[quote='however' is not the first word in a sentence... from Gradeschool English..][/quote]

dik it scares me that we think alike. Do you still remember how to diagram a sentence? I learned that in 5th Grade English.

 

[JLNJ]

However should be linking two complete sentences with a semicolon.

I'm pretty tall; however, height is not the measure of a man.

 

[MotorCity]

Its nothing more than a transition word used to convey a caveat, exception, or qualification. What is the objection?

 

[LuK13]

However can be used to start a sentence.

There I did it, turn me into the grammar police. I'm already looking at consecutive life sentences.

 

[JStephen]

I suggest replacing it with "like" or "but dude":
The water stains indicate that moisture has infiltrated the floor cavity. Like, the recent roof repairs may have resolved this issue.
The water stains indicate that moisture has infiltrated the floor cavity. But dude, the recent roof repairs may have resolved this issue.


I recall reading long ago of a writer who would use "damn" extensively: "I was damned tired and damned hungry", etc.
Then his editors removed all the "damns", which left him with the concise direct writing style for which he was known.

 

[271828]

This reminded me of the following. LOL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K-L9uhsBLM

 

[Greenalleycat]

In my job I do a huge amount of report writing as we regularly produce 50 page reports for insurance disputes etc

I use 'however' more than is probably right - I think this is because my colleagues are even worse at this than me and it rubs off!
I have been trying to cut down on using it only to when makes proper sense to do so
When used properly I think it is perfectly appropriate and actually adds value to a report
However (), I have often seen it used to link two ideas that actually have no dependency on each other, or just thrown in as a stupid filler word, so use with consideration IMO

 

[phamENG]

There I did it, turn me into the grammar police. I'm already looking at consecutive life sentences.

If we did that, you would be placed in the unenviable position of arresting yourself on two counts of bad grammar.

 

[bridgebuster]

Can a sentence begin with And? My mother yelled at me (I was in 3rd grade) for doing it on a homework assignment. Some years later I saw Wm. F. Buckley do it in a column. She told me he was wrong. I'm still conflicted about this.

 

[Enable]

bridgebuster: I believe William Forrester has the final word on this one (or more specifically his protégée).

EDIT - Time to go dig up my VHS for a little nostalgia

 

[dik]

Yup... I've got a bit of an advantage. We homeschooled our youngest to Gr 13, Honours English... and it's still kinda fresh...

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[dik]

I, however, pulled snow records...


I'm pretty tall; height, however, is not the...

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[dik]

BB, you're correct... you shouldn't start a sentence with 'and'. My dad use to tell me that there is an elegance in precision... kinda stuck..

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

 

[flight7]

However, I pulled snow records for the entire time...

I, however, pulled snow records...

To my eye, the second example implies "Mr. Smith designed the roof overhang. I, however, pulled snow records (and Mr. Smith didn't), thereby proving that the design is inadequate and Mr. Smith is a twit."

 

[bugbus]

I've never seen a problem starting a sentence with 'And' or 'But' or 'However' (without the semi-colon).

Most of the grammar nazi blogs you can Google seem to agree that it's perfectly correct.

One word that I've been questioned on before is 'notwithstanding', because it seems to negate everything you've just written up to that point. Maybe there's a better word.