Q&A for How to Use Therefore in a Sentence

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What is the proper punctuation for this sentence: "We therefore respectfully decline."

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Your sentence is already punctuated correctly. Here, you're using "therefore" as an adverb, so there's no need to use any punctuation at all.

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"The structure has become weakened. It has, therefore, to be . . ." Do I need a comma before and after "therefore," or just after?

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In this sentence, you would put a comma before and after "therefore" because it is an interrupter. Although it's being used as an adverb, it comes after the verb it modifies. If you put it before "has" ("It therefore has to be..."), you wouldn't need any punctuation at all.

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Hi, is this sentence correct? "Therefore children use their imagination more, they often find unusual solutions to things."

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As is, you need a comma after "therefore" since it is an introductory phrase. But ask yourself which statement you're making is the cause and which is the effect. It seems that what you're saying is that children often find unusual solutions to things because they use their imagination more—which means "therefore" should introduce the second clause, not the first. Additionally, you have a comma splice. A correct sentence would be: "Children use their imagination more; therefore, they often find unusual solutions to things."

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Can I put a comma (,) before "therefore"? Like: "It is a hot day, therefore I will wear a hat."

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No. In the example you've given, you have a comma splice because you're trying to stitch together 2 complete thoughts into 1 sentence. Here, you need a semicolon before "therefore" and a comma after, like this: "It is a hot day; therefore, I will wear a hat."

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