Proper use of comma before and after therefore [closed]

Is this right?

I, therefore, recommended to him...

I therefore recommended to him...

Solution 1:

Comma rules have nothing to do with this particular word. Let me explain.

In your sample sentence, therefore is used as an interrupter, so you do need to put a comma before and after it. Example: I, therefore, recommended to him...

If it's being used as a conjunctive adverb, you'd need a semicolon and a comma. Example: He's my teacher; therefore, I need to respect him.

For all the comma rules, check out http://sirragirl.blogspot.com/2012/12/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-ja-x.html?m=1

Solution 2:

Double commas in this case represent extraneous information, without which, the sentence would still read correctly. You can use this sentence either way, the first just puts more emphasis on the word "therefore"

Solution 3:

Correct: "I, therefore, recommended..."

Solution 4:

To arrive at the 'best' answer, rather than a strictly technically correct one, a relevant digression is required. So, ...

There are occasions where common usage and common sense trumps any number of "rules".
This is one.

This is an example where I feel confident (although others may not :-) ) that the late great Fowler would have agreed with me. While he was a defender of the language, he also accepted that the English language is a living thing, and how we use it is modified by circumstance and by passage of time. In this example, use of the commas when translated into spoken, as opposed to written, English, would result in two distinct pauses. This is indeed what is done when calculated effect is intended, but this would sound distinctly affected in more common use. In written form, the commas may be included for "correctness", but only if it was not intended to reflect 'normal' dialogue without a specific intention to use the 'therefore' as a means of emphasis.

In summary: Use of "therefore" in this manner is somewhat uncommon in everyday speech, but where it was used without conscious thought, the large majority would not include the commas.

> I, therefore, recommended to him...

is good Queen's English, but it is terribly hard on the brain in everyday situations and would not usually be used unless the point was being especially strongly made that the recommendation was an important one.

eg in the following example the speaker is emphasising that what would usually be a non-preferred option is now the preferred one due to special circumstances

"All the travellers coming via the South road over the past 3 weeks have been killed by rebels. I, therefore, recommended to him the usually much less preferred alternative route through ... "

Here the " ..., therefore, ..." construct has the effect of highlighting the alternative.

In most day to day uses I'd expect to see "I therefore recommended to him ...".

"The specialty fish dish really requires extremely fresh Trevali to be at its best - but the storm has kept the fleet in port for 4 days now. I therefore recommended to him several of our signature pasta dishes'.

To verbally include the pauses implied by the commas in " ... I, therefore, ... " would sound stilted in the extreme. However, even the use of 'therefore' in such cases would be unusual. All but the most highfalutin among us would tend to use " ... so I ...".