Help me with the Punctuation rule

Question

Mr. and Mrs. Jones are very wealthy; however, they still live a simple life.
Each student learns in a different way. The teacher, therefore, must include activities that cater to various learning activities.

Can anybody tell me what is the logic behind enclosing therefore with commas (and not with a semicolon comma as in the first sentence). I know the rule that applies to the 1st sentence, but I am a bit confused about the 2nd case. Is it only because Therefore is an interrupting clause?

Also, I am not sure how the phrase cater to, or cater is being used.

Thanks in advance!

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

RoshaBeliCan anybody tell me what is the logic behind enclosing therefore with commas

A comma is only needed if "therefore" comes first, as "however" did, "Therefore, the teacher must include activities …". The writer can choose to make "therefore" parenthetical, as in your example, but there is no need. Additionally, I would move "therefore", "The teacher must therefore include activities …".

RoshaBeliand not with a semicolon comma as in the first sentence

You could do it that way, "Each student learns in a different way; therefore, the teacher must include activities …", but that is inferior with either adverb. The semicolon is a Band-aid fix, and the reader knows it. Just bite the bullet and use a period, "Mr. and Mrs. Jones are very wealthy. However, they still live simple life."

RoshaBeliIs it only because Therefore is an interrupting clause?

It is not a clause, and I think you mean "parenthetical". Yes, the writer can use it that way.

RoshaBeliAlso, I am not sure how the phrase cater to, or cater is being used.

The writer is being fuzzy-brained. We can all speak, but we can't all write standard English without a lot of thought and effort. Activities can't cater to activities. You would have to ask the writer what he meant to be sure, but I guess he meant something like "include activities tailored to the various learning modalities."

CalifJim · Answer

RoshaBeliCan anybody tell me what is the logic behind enclosing therefore with commas (and not with a semicolon comma as in the first sentence).

It's a less rigorous, less academic way of constructing the sentence. You can do both sentences both ways.

Mr. and Mrs. Jones are very wealthy; however, they still live a simple life.
Each student learns in a different way; therefore, the teacher must include activities that cater to various learning activities.

Mr. and Mrs. Jones are very wealthy. However, they still live a simple life.
Each student learns in a different way. Therefore, the teacher must include activities that cater to various learning activities.

Putting the conjunctive adverb later in the second clause is yet another variant.

For examples of the standard punctuation for conjunctive adverbs in academic essays and other formal writing, see

https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/adverbs/con-adverb.html

to cater (to): to supply what is required or desired (for)

Thus,

activities that cater to various learning activities
~ activities that supply what is required for various learning activities
(As noted elsewhere in this thread, the meaning is murky here.)

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cater

CJ

RoshaBeli · Answer

Mr. and Mrs. Jones are very wealthy; however, they still live a simple life.
Each student learns in a different way. The teacher, therefore, must include activities that cater to various learning activities.

Can anybody tell me what is the logic behind enclosing therefore with commas (and not with a semicolon comma as in the first sentence). I know the rule that applies to the 1st sentence, but I am a bit confused about the 2nd case. Is it only because Therefore is an interrupting clause?

Also, I am not sure how the phrase cater to, or cater is being used.

Thanks in advance!

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Help me with the Punctuation rule

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