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Therefore
"Therefore" is very similar to "as a result." Something is a fact, and after thinking about this fact, you can make a conclusion. It sounds a little formal in everyday speech but not uncommon. The word "therefore" is frequently used when writing.
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examples
His skin burns very easily;therefore, he's decided to stay under an umbrella and wear lots of sunscreen.
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Our lives have become too complicated; therefore, we've decided to simplify things and move to a log cabin in the country.
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He spends too much time doing office work--even when he's out with his girlfriend; therefore, she's thinking about ending the relationship.
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There were too many accidents on this road when the speed limit was 55 miles per hour; therefore, the city decided to lower it to 45 miles per hour. The limit for snowmobiles was also lowered.
(Do you see where the passive voice is used in this sentence?
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The birds in our backyard couldn't find enough to eat;therefore, we set up a bird feeder and now they're okay.
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This timberwolf was hunted almost to the point of extinction; therefore, the government put it on an endangered species list and now it's protected by law.
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due to
"Due to" is very similar to "because of." It gives a reason for why something is true. You can use "due to" with phrases and single words, but you can't use "due to" with a clause.
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examples
Traffic was very slow coming home today due to a heavy snowstorm.
(notice that after "due to" you can't use a verb. ) |  |
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Due to a broken wing, this bird can't fly.
(This sentence begins with "due to" and is followed by a noun and a comma. It explains why the bird can't fly.)
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His weight problem is due toovereating.
(You may use gerunds after "due to." The word "overeating" in this example is a gerund. Gerunds are similar to nouns and end in "ing.")
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This woman lost her job due to the weak U.S. economy, and now she has to beg in the street for money.
(Social problems are often explained with the use of "due to."
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Due to rapid global warming, many polar bears are unable to adapt to a new environment and now they are starving to death.
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Their marriage ended due in large part to a lack of communication.
(Notice that "due to" is sometimes separable.) |  |
Consequently
"Consequently" is very similar to "so" and "therefore." Like "therefore" it's a conjunctive adverb (the term is not important!). It usually appears in the middle of sentence, but it may also be used at the beginning of sentence. If you know what the word "consequence" means, you shouldn't have any trouble with this.
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examples
Hector decided not to use a map; consequently, he got lost and never found his way out of the forest. There he died.
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Gas prices rose too high for Matt to afford; consequently, he sold his car and made his daily commute by bike.
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Astronomy has been an interest of human beings for centuries; consequently, our curiosity has led to a better understanding of our place in the solar system and human space exploration.
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Poachers have hunted and killed too many elephants for their tusks; consequently, they have become an endangered species in some parts of the world.
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An adequate water supply is important to a farmer's success; consequently, irrigation is used in places where water is in short supply.
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Hector was a very good student who studied constantly; consequently, he found a very good job after he graduated from college.
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The United States suffered terribly under a weakened economy and a lack of government oversight in 2008; consequently, the Democrats easily won in the November 2008 elections.
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instead
"Instead" is similar to "or." It describes a substitution or an alternative situation. "Instead" is often followed by the preposition "of."
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examples
Candy tastes good, but it isn't good for you to eat too much.
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Instead, consider eating fruit if you want something that's sweet.
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Newspapers aren't as popular as they used to be.
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Instead, many people are going online for their news.
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Instead of entering a career as a stockbroker, he decided to become a professional skateboarder.
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He should have gone to sleep. He stayed awake all night instead.
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Ron was supposed to leave at 5:00; instead, he has to stay in the office and finish some paperwork.
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unless
"Unless" is similar to "except" and "but." It can be used as a conjunction. It's also similar to "if" + "not."
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examples
1. Unless she can control her anger, she won't be able to keep her job.
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2. He'll hurt himself unlesshe's very careful.
If he isn't very careful, he'll hurt himself. |  |
3. He won't be able to go to the party unless he can find a ride.
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4. Nguyen will come to class early tomorrow unless the bus is late.
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5. She'll continue to have problems with her teethunless she gives up drinking sugary soft drinks and eating candy.
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6. Unless the restaurant can improve its business, it will have to close.
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7. Water from the kitchen faucet can be as good as bottled water unless the city water supply is bad.
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otherwise
"Otherwise" is used to offer an alternative situation. It's very similar to "or " and "or else."
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examples
1. Today is a holiday;otherwise, he would be at work.
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2. In ancient times, it was necessary for a man to learn how to defend himself;otherwise, he was easily killed by other men.
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3. Traffic is really bad right now; otherwise, she'd be at work already.
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4. Sometimes it's a good idea to throw out food or beverages that are really old or smell bad. You might get sick otherwise.
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5. It's important for children to get a good early education; otherwise, they might have problems in school later on.
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6. She makes a good living from her artwork; otherwise, she would have to work on her family's farm.
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7. Human beings have a responsibility to protect animals that are in danger of becoming extinct. We can not do otherwise.
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meanwhile
The word "meanwhile" is a conjunctive adverb that joins two clauses together. It's similar to "as" and "while." It's useful in describing two things happening at the same time.
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examples
1. He's cleaning the house; meanwhile, his wife is away at work.
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2. Kimlan is studying engineering; meanwhile, her friend Hoang is in the United States studying English.
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Hoang  | |
3. Sue is vacationing in Hawaii; meanwhile, her coworkers in Chicago are hard at work inside their offices.
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4. The beekeeper checks his hives to see how his bees are doing;meanwhile, the bees continue to do their work.
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5. A high school band marches in a parade;meanwhile, the truck behind them entertains the crowd with a flame thrower.
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6. Hanging clothes outside to dry saves me money on electricity;meanwhile, the environmental benefits of not using electricity for such a simple task should be obvious.
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7. The tomatoes in the front yard are almost ripe;meanwhile, the tomatoes in the backyard aren't even close to being ripe.
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nevertheless
This strange-looking conjunctive adverb is similar to "however," "yet" and "even so." We use "nevertheless" to present a fact that is in contrast to some other fact. "Nevertheless" usually goes in front of an independent clause, but it can also be used at the end of a clause. It's also frequently used alongside "but."
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examples
1. Owning a house can cost a lot of money; nevertheless, home ownership is a big part of living the American dream.
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2. Asparagus is an unusual but, nevertheless, tasty vegetable. or.....
Asparagus is an unusual vegetable but tasty,nevertheless. |  |
3. Prehistoric writing and drawings reveal a simple but,nevertheless, fascinating view of the world.
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4. No one likes to feed parking meters.Nevertheless, they are a low-cost alternative to parking garages, and they help keep city streets free of abandoned vehicles.
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5. Kurtis was told not to go out fishing before the storm;nevertheless, the coast guard came to his assistance when he called for help.
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6. It's important to be cautious when using a chainsaw. Accidents and injuries still happen,nevertheless.
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7. Her singing abilities aren't as good as the others in the choir, but she enjoys singingnevertheless. |  |
even if
"Even if " is used to describe a situation that is true, no matter what the facts are. It's similar to "despite."
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examples
1. They like to eat cotton candy even if it's bad for the teeth.
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2. Even if you use a lot of ketchup, some meat (like liver) still tastes terrible.
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3. He'll be late to work todayeven if the traffic starts to move faster.
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4. Even if he quits smoking today, he'll have a greater chance of developing health problems than a nonsmoker.
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5. They're not going to finish their harvest even if they work as many hours as possible.
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6. Even if he's not hungry, this dog likes to eat a lot of dog food.
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7. She's likely to hurt herself with that gun even if she's very, very careful.
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