Which sentence shows correct punctuation with "however" after a semicolon?

Which sentence shows correct punctuation with "however" after a semicolon?

• A. I wanted to go; however I stayed home.
• B. I wanted to go; however, I stayed home.
• C. I wanted to go; however, stayed home.
• D. I wanted to go; however, stayed home.

Answer: (B)

Using a semicolon to join two independent clauses with a conjunctive adverb like however requires placing a comma after the however. In this pattern, both sides around the semicolon are complete sentences, and the word however acts as a bridge between them, with the comma after it signaling the pause before the second clause begins.

The correct sentence shows this: “I wanted to go; however, I stayed home.” Each part has its own subject and verb, so both sides are complete thoughts. The comma after however keeps the sentence readable and follows standard punctuation rules for conjunctive adverbs linking independent clauses.

The other options fail because they either omit the comma after however or drop the subject in the second clause, which makes the second part incomplete and not properly connected to the first with a semicolon.