Therefore means “for this reason” or “as a result”. It introduces a conclusion or a consequence of what was said before. It is a formal word: it fits essays, reports and official letters, while in conversation people usually say “so”.
How would you use therefore?
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Sentence. Therefore, + sentence; clause; therefore, + clause; subject + is + therefore + adjective; subject + can/should + therefore + verb; …, and therefore + clause
- Most jobs now require digital skills. Therefore, schools should start teaching programming at an early age.
- The sample in this study was very small, and the results are therefore not fully reliable.
- The office will be closed on Monday; therefore, the team meeting has been moved to Tuesday.
What changed
First versionThe rent was too high, therefore we moved to another district.
RevisionThe rent was too high, so we moved to another district.
“Therefore” cannot link two parts of one sentence after a comma. Inside a sentence, after a comma, you need “so”. If you want to keep “therefore”, put a full stop or a semicolon before it: too high; therefore, we moved.
“So” and “that's why” also introduce a result, but they sound conversational: I missed the bus, so I was late. In an essay, it is better to introduce a conclusion with “therefore” or “as a result”. Inside a sentence, “therefore” often comes after “is”, “are” or a modal verb: The results are therefore unreliable.
Your turn
Fewer people now buy printed newspapers. ___, many local papers have closed in recent years.
Show the answer
Therefore — Local papers are closing because fewer people buy newspapers. The second sentence follows from the first, so “Therefore” is right. “However” would introduce a contrast, but here the second idea continues the first and does not contradict it.
Write two sentences for an essay about housing in big cities. In the first, name a problem; in the second, start with Therefore and say what it leads to.
Rents in big cities are rising much faster than salaries. Therefore, many young people have to share flats until their thirties.
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