She already had a lot of experience and therefore seemed the best candidate for the job.
Many old people have some form of disability or health problem. It is not surprising, therefore, that they are the biggest users of the health care system.
The Japanese writing system has thousands of characters. Therefore it takes a long time to learn.
STUDY NOTE: Grammar Therefore is more formal than so.
You can use therefore in the middle of a sentence, or at the beginning of a sentence. You use so in the middle of a sentence, usually after a comma.
so conjunction used when saying that something happens or someone does something as a result of something else:
They had not eaten all day, so they were very hungry.
Questions have been raised over the safety of the toys, and so they are being withdrawn from the market.
thus adverb a formal word, meaning as a result of what you have just mentioned:
The dinosaurs all died out within a short period of time. Thus it seems likely that there must have been some kind of catastrophic event.
The program is very simple and thus easy to run.
STUDY NOTE: Grammar
Thus is more formal than therefore, and is used especially in formal writing.
hence adverb a formal word, meaning for this reason:
This material is highly poisonous, hence the importance of careful handling.
Their names sound very similar. Hence they are often confused with each other.
as a result use this to say that because of a particular situation, something else happens or is true:
Some people suffer from stress at work and become ill as a result.
The farmer could not pump water onto his field and, as a result, he had grown only twenty tons of melons compared to eighty before the war.
Economic growth slowed down as a result of inflation.
As a result of her injuries, she was forced to abandon her hopes of going to medical school.
consequently / as a consequence adverb use this to say that because of a particular situation, something else happens or is true:
The disease attacks the plant, the flower does not open, and consequently no seeds are produced.
More people are using their cars, and as a consequence many rural bus services have been severely reduced.
As a consequence of global warming, our climate is already starting to change.
Lead remains forever in the atmosphere. Consequently, this year's lead pollution will add to that of all previous years.
STUDY NOTE: Grammar
Consequently and as a consequence are more formal than as a result.
for this reason / for these reasons used when explaining the reason for something:
She was not very good at ball games. For this reason she did not care much for sport or physical activities.
If you live in a big city, housing is very expensive and there is so much pollution. For these and other reasons, more and more people are choosing to move out to the country.
with the result that use this to say that because of a particular situation, another situation exists or happens:
Both laboratories were completely re-equipped last year, with the result that we now have the most modern facilities in the country.
Taxes were increased, with the result that people had to work harder if they wanted to maintain their standard of living.
this means that used when saying what the result of something is:
Childcare is very expensive. This means that many women cannot afford to go back to work after having children.
If students arrive late, this can mean that a large part of the lesson time is wasted.
thereby adverb a formal word, used when saying what the result of something is. You use thereby in the middle of a sentence, usually after a comma:
The two companies were merged, thereby creating a single company.
If our homes are properly insulated, we need to use less oil or gas, thereby cutting the cost of heating them.
accordingly adverb a formal word, meaning as a result of what you have just said:
Too much alcohol can be harmful to health. Accordingly, on this diet you are allowed only one or two units of alcohol per day.
He had disobeyed an order from a senior officer, and accordingly he was dismissed from the army.
Listing & Ordering
What you say when ordering a group of things that you want to mention
Ways of introducing a list of reasons, causes, points etc
1. What you say when ordering a group of things that you want to mention
firstly / first adverb used when mentioning the first in a list of reasons, arguments, or parts of an essay:
There are two main reasons why people choose this type of investment. Firstly, it is relatively safe. Secondly, it offers a good rate of interest.
The statistics show, firstly, that crime is increasing; secondly, that most crime is committed by young men; and lastly, that many of these young men are on drugs.
This essay seeks to answer the following questions. First, is our current political system truly democratic? Second, what are the alternatives?
first of all used especially when the first thing that you mention is the most important thing:
The content of the article must, first of all, be useful to the reader.
People are living longer for several reasons. First of all, there have been enormous advances in medical science. Secondly, our diets are now much healthier.
secondly / second adverb used when mentioning the second in a list of reasons, arguments, or parts of an essay:
Many people are concerned about the problems associated with nuclear energy. Firstly, what do you do with all the nuclear waste? Secondly, how can we prevent nuclear materials from falling into the hands of terrorists?
thirdly / third adverb used when mentioning the third in a list of reasons, arguments, or parts of an essay:
There are many things we can do to help protect our environment. First of all, we can use our cars less. Secondly, we can recyle more. Thirdly, we need to develop new sources of energy which cause less pollution.
in the first / second / third place means the same as firstly, secondly or thirdly, but is less formal. It is used especially when giving reasons or examples:
Modern communications have completely changed the way we work. In the first place, they have made it possible for many people to work from home. They also allow people in different parts of the world to communicate instantly at any time of day.
STUDY NOTE: Grammar
When you are giving a long list of reasons or parts in an essay, it sounds rather repetitive to say Firstly... Secondly... Thirdly ... Fourthly... Fifthly etc. It sounds much more natural to vary the language and use other phrases instead of numbers, for example In addition ... Furthermore/moreover ... Lastly ...