'Even though' versus 'However'

[learning54]

Hi teachers,
I have read in one of my grammar books these definitions:
a) If you simply want to contrast two statements, you use 'although', 'though' or 'even though'.
b) 'However' emphasizes the fact that the second point contrasts with or seems to contradict the first.
c) These words link two ideas and show contrast between them.

I don't see much difference in terms of those definitions. Could you give a better one please?

Eg.
Even though Arthur drives more carefully than he did when he was younger, he is still driving too fast according to Deborah.
He has to work hard— harder than the excavator operators, for example. However, he earns less money than they do.

Thanks in advance.

 

[emsr2d2]

Hi teachers,
I have read in one of my grammar books these definitions:
a) If you simply want to contrast two statements, you use 'although', 'though' or 'even though'.
b) 'However' emphasizes the fact that the second point contrasts with or seems to contradict the first.
c) These words link two ideas and show contrast between them.

I don't see much difference in terms of those definitions. Could you give a better one please?

Eg.
Even though Arthur drives more carefully than he did when he was younger, he is still driving too fast according to Deborah.
Deborah thinks Arthur drives too fast. However, Arthur drives more carefully than he did when he was younger.

He has to work hard— harder than the excavator operators, for example. However, he earns less money than they do.
He earns less than the excavator operators even though he works harder than they do.

Thanks in advance.

I have used the alternate phrase in both of your examples above, in red. What do you think?

 

[learning54]

I have used the alternate phrase in both of your examples above, in red. What do you think?

Hi,
Thank you very much for your help. Though I know what they mean in Spanish, I have to explain, of course in English, when to use one or the other to my students.

I think they have the same meaning, they show contrast. Am I right with what I wrote in blue?
Deborah thinks Arthur drives too fast. In contrast, Arthur drives more carefully than he did when he was younger.
He earns less than the excavator operators. In contrast, he works harder than they do.

L.

 

[Barb_D]

In contrast is not a good choice for those two sentences. Use that when comparing two things parallel things.

 

[Raymott]

Hi,
Thank you very much for your help. Though I know what they mean in Spanish, I have to explain, of course in English, when to use one or the other to my students.

I think they have the same meaning, they show contrast. Am I right with what I wrote in blue?
Deborah thinks Arthur drives too fast. In contrast, Arthur drives more carefully than he did when he was younger.
He earns less than the excavator operators. In contrast, he works harder than they do.

L.

What, you can't tell them that "however" means "sin embargo" and that "even though" means "aunque", and that the usage is similar - if, as I think, it is? You can't swap those words around in English or Spanish, because they have different usages syntactically.

"Aunque Arthur drives more carefully than he did when he was younger, he is still driving too fast according to Deborah.
He has to work hard— harder than the excavator operators, for example. Sin embargo, he earns less money than they do."

"However / Nevertheless / Sin embargo" mean "Even though what I've just said is true ..."
"Even though / Aunque" simply mean "Even though ..."

 

[emsr2d2]

Hi,
Thank you very much for your help. Though I know what they mean in Spanish, I have to explain, of course in English, when to use one or the other to my students.

I think they have the same meaning, they show contrast. Am I right with what I wrote in blue?

Deborah thinks Arthur drives too fast. In contrast, Arthur drives more carefully than he did when he was younger.
He earns less than the excavator operators. In contrast, he works harder than they do.

L.

As Barb said, "in contrast" works for things like "He works very hard. In contrast, the excavator operators are very lazy."

 

[TheParser]

NOT A TEACHER

Hello, Learning:

1. Yes, it must be difficult, indeed, to explain the difference between those two words.

2. Here are a few ideas to share with you:

(a) I think that even though/ although = Yes, but.

(i) Yes, Arthur drives more carefully nowadays, but Deborah claims that he is still driving too fast.

(b) I think that however is a more elegant "but."

(i) He has to work harder than the excavator operators, but he earns less money than they do.

3. The most important thing that I wanted to share with you is the fact that "however" cannot start your kind of

sentence:

a. Although Mona is beautiful, she can't get a boyfriend. (correct)
b. Mona can't get a boyfriend although she is beautiful. (correct)
c. Mona is beautiful; however, she can't get a boyfriend. (correct)
d. However, she can't get a boyfriend. Mona is beautiful. (No way!)

*****

Your use of "however" is different from the way it is being used here:

However strong a man thinks he is, he will cry like a baby if he has kidney stones.
A man will cry like a baby if he has kidney stones, however strong he thinks he is.

HAVE A NICE DAY!

 

[learning54]

Hi,
Thank you for all your replies.
However hard I try, it's too difficult to explain the difference without translating or just saying that we use them, both of them, to show contrast between two statements.

L.

 

[learning54]

Hi, TheParser:
Thank you very much for your explanations and examples. As always, they are very helpful.

You too!
L.

 

[emsr2d2]

Hi,
Thank you for all your replies.
However hard I try, it's too difficult to explain the difference without translating or just saying that we use them, both of them, to show contrast between two statements.

L.

If it's too difficult to explain it all in English, there is no reason why you shouldn't just give them the direct translation with Spanish, exactly as Raymott suggested. As far as I'm aware, they're used the same way in both languages.