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What sentence adverb to use to introduce a sentence expressing the reason for something?

English Language & Usage Asked by user58319 on August 16, 2020

I am trying to ‘conjure up’ a chart on result, reason, purpose, and contrast for my students, and I am really hard put to come up with a satisfying adverb to introduce the sentence mentioning the reason for something.

Result: I work hard. Therefore, I am successful. (adverb introducing the sentence mentioning the result)

Reason: I am successful. Naturally, I work hard. (adverb introducing the sentence mentioning the reason)

Is there an adverb other than ‘Naturally’ for reason, as obvious as ‘As a result/Consequently/Therefore’ for result?

I have thought of ‘Obviously’, ‘Evidently’, ‘Of course’, but they are hardly more satsifying than ‘Naturally’, aren’t they?

One Answer

It seems to me that your second sentence is missing a link to the first. We are left guessing as to the relationship between the two.

Therefore establishes that the sentence before is the reason for what is stated in the following. A similar adverb expressing the opposite relationship, that the sentence previous is the result of the reason given in the one following is what's needed, but naturally, perforce, etc. do not do so explicitly. We are left guessing whether being successful has caused the speaker to work hard or working hard has caused him to be successful. The sentences may not have a cause and effect relationship at all depending on the context.

This would produce the result desired:

And, to be so, I work hard.

I don't believe a single adverb with the meaning of to be so exists.

Answered by DW256 on August 16, 2020

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