therefore

therefore

1. This is the most resilient of the adverbs in there- and has been part of the core language since the 12c. It is always pronounced with the stress on the first syllable, and can be placed in various positions in a sentence, including the beginning. In short sentences and in constructions in which therefore is associated with a particular word or phrase, it is not necessary to separate it with commas:

• Would I please therefore oblige her by using the musical notation provided —Guardian, 1986

• The relationship of patronage was therefore complex —R. Greene, 1993.

When commas are used, therefore becomes parenthetical and its force tends to be spread over the whole sentence in the same way as however (though with opposite meaning):

• It's unsurprising, therefore, that the most expensive restaurant meal of all time —costing over £44,000 —was served here last year —Observer Food Monthly, 2002.

2. When therefore comes at the beginning of a sentence, a following comma is optional and depends on the flow of the sentence:

• You're not here as a solicitor…Therefore, you're entitled to call some other solicitor —J. Wainwright, 1972

• Therefore I wear my ‘power suit’, I call it, if I have to go to a board in the conference room on the top floor with senior officials —G. Kirkup et al., 1990.

When it is immediately followed by a subordinate clause, it is more likely to be separated by a comma:

• Therefore, when a battery shows signs of diminishing power and range effectiveness it makes sense to replace it —B. Smithson, 1988.