- It, therefore, comes as a surprise that he passed away so suddenly. [Falsely emphasizing it rather than surprise.]
- Samuel, therefore, rescheduled the deposition to the last Monday of the month. [Falsely suggesting the importance of Samuel rather than the rescheduling.]
- The corporation’s profits are down from last year and, therefore, the board must implement new policies. [Falsely emphasizing and: therefore would fit more comfortably between must and implement — without commas of course.]
Therefore vs. therefor.
Therefore is the common adverbial conjunction meaning “for that reason,” “consequently,” or “so.” It always states a conclusion when used correctly {the accident occurred at 8 a.m.; therefore rush-hour traffic was snarled for hours}. The stress is on the first syllable.
Therefor (stress on the last syllable) means “for that” or “for it.” It’s usually found in legal writing {after litigating the fraud count for six years, the fiduciary was finally punished therefor}. But it’s jargon and should be avoided for stylistic reasons {after six years of litigation, the fiduciary was finally convicted of fraud}. As Eric Partridge noted, “[m]any quite good writers do not even know of the existence of therefor.” Usage and Abusage 341 (1982). And I might propound that they’re better writers therefor.
Take care in punctuating therefore for three reasons. First, in short sentences, don’t set it off by commas — that destroys the rhythm and is just awkward {we must, therefore, deny the plaintiff’s motion to dismiss} {the Supreme Court, therefore, reversed the lower court’s decision} {it is, therefore, necessary to read every term in the contract}. In each example, omitting the commas tightens and improves the sentence’s flow.
Second, incorrect punctuation around therefore can create a run-on sentence or a comma splice. In a run-on sentence, two independent clauses are incorrectly written with no punctuation between them {federal-circuit caselaw on each of the textual-interpretation doctrines applies squarely in the defendant’s favor therefore the court should dismiss the suit}. In a comma splice, two independent clauses have merely a comma between them {federal-circuit caselaw on each of the textual-interpretation doctrines applies squarely in the defendant’s favor, therefore the court should dismiss the suit}. The correct solution here is to put either a semicolon or a period before therefore.
Third, when a comma appears before therefore, the preceding word picks up emphasis (sometimes falsely). As H.W. Fowler pointed out: “it must be remembered that the putting of a comma before therefore inevitably has the effect of throwing a strong accent on the preceding word, and that some preceding words are equal to that burden, and some are not.” A Dictionary of Modern English Usage 634 (Ernest Gowers ed., 2d ed. 1965). To see the false emphasis in each of the following examples, place a strong stress on the word preceding therefore as you read the sentence aloud: