the question is however

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "the question is however" is not correct as it stands and is awkward in written English.
It can be used when introducing a contrasting point or a shift in focus regarding a question, but it needs to be restructured for clarity. Example: "The question is, however, whether we can implement this change effectively."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

The time frame for the questions is "today".

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Being more specific the response time for the first clinical question is 3993 milliseconds and for the second clinical question is 7038 milliseconds.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

The rock in question is 75m-80m years old: 10m-15m years older than the cataclysm that did for the dinosaurs.

The Economist

The film in question is 1936's Dracula's Daughter, directed by Lambert Hillyer.

Vice

The film in question was 1923's The Ten Commandments, a silent-screen epic by Cecil B DeMille.

The Guardian - Film

Similar questionnaires were sent to the same population in 2002, when the participants in question were 20 30 years of age.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

The question is, do Christmas light exhibitionists deserve this?

Independent

The question is: Will this year's playoff run change anything?

The New York Times

The question is whether this week's events in Egypt are following the Gerecht script or not.

The New York Times

The question is whether today's Caspian leaders are prepared to follow them.

The Economist

The question is, will today's online players still be around to enjoy the triumph?

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "the question is however" as it is grammatically awkward. Instead, restructure your sentence to place "however" in a more conventional position, such as "however, the question is..."

Common error

A common mistake is to insert "however" directly after "the question is" without proper punctuation. This creates an unnatural sentence structure. Always ensure "however" is set off by commas or placed at the beginning of the clause for clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "the question is however" serves as an attempt to introduce a contrasting point or shift the focus within a discussion. However, due to its awkward structure, it doesn't effectively fulfill this function. Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is not correct as it stands.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "the question is however" is a grammatically awkward phrase that should be avoided in writing and speech. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is not correct as it stands, and suggests a revision. While the intent is to introduce a contrasting point, the phrase's structure undermines its effectiveness. Alternatives like "however, the question is" or "the question, however, is" offer clearer and more grammatically sound ways to convey the same meaning. Pay close attention to punctuation to ensure clarity when using "however" in your sentences.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

however, the question is

Reorders the phrase to a grammatically correct structure, placing "however" in a more conventional position.

the question, however, is

Inserts "however" parenthetically, creating a slight shift in emphasis.

the question remains, however

Adds "remains" to clarify that the question persists despite previous information.

the issue is, however

Substitutes "question" with "issue" to slightly alter the focus.

however, the central question is

Adds "central" to highlight the importance of the question.

the real question, though, is

Replaces "however" with "though" for a more informal tone.

the problem is, though

Using problem instead of question.

the challenge is, however

Using challenge instead of question.

the main concern is, however

Using concern instead of question.

yet the question is

Replaces "however" with "yet" to indicate a contrast or concession.

FAQs

Is "the question is however" grammatically correct?

No, "the question is however" is grammatically awkward. A better phrasing would be "however, the question is" or "the question, however, is".

What's a more natural way to phrase "the question is however"?

More natural alternatives include "however, the question remains" or "the issue is, however", depending on the specific context.

Where does 'however' best fit in a sentence about a question?

"However" typically functions as a conjunctive adverb. It's best placed either at the beginning of the clause (e.g., "However, the question is...") or parenthetically within the clause (e.g., "The question, however, is...").

Can I use 'but' instead of 'however' in "the question is however"?

While "but" can sometimes replace "however", it doesn't directly fix the awkwardness of "the question is however". You'd still need to restructure the sentence. For example, you could say "the question is, but..." or "but the question is...".