Which one of the following examples of use of therefore best reflects its meaning?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Examining how therefore is used in each option helps distinguish logical inference from mere correlation or unsupported conclusion.
Option 1: "The university offered him a hefty scholarship. Therefore, he accepted it immediately." Here, the connective therefore signals a causal conclusion, but the sentence does not provide any evidence that the scholarship offer caused immediate acceptance, beyond temporal sequence. It treats correlation as causation without backing, making this usage weak.
Option 2: "The paper was given a negative review by the anonymous reviewers. Therefore, it must have been badly written." This is an overgeneralization. A negative review does not necessarily prove the paper was badly written; it could reflect different standards, biases, or issues unrelated to quality of writing. Therefore is misused to claim a definitive assessment from insufficient information.
Option 3: "Findings from a number of sources suggest that teenage boys have a much higher tendency to smoke than teenage girls. Therefore, the health ministry’s efforts to prevent smoking among teenagers should target primarily at boys." This instance uses therefore to draw a logical conclusion from presented evidence: consistent findings across sources justify a targeted public health implication. The conclusion follows reasonably from the data, making this the appropriate use of therefore.
Option 4: "The methodology is problematic because the sample size is small but not sufficiently representative. Therefore, the researchers should use a larger, more representative size for their data collection, so that the findings can be more convincing." While the statement about improving methodology is sensible, the therefore clause adds a prescriptive remedy based on a diagnostic claim. The causal leap is not as direct or unequivocal as in option 3; the link between current limitation and the stated recommendation is plausible but less tightly anchored to the evidence presented, making this usage less exact for therefore’s typical function.

NG5001 Supplementary Unit | Quiz 1 | The Semantics of Logical Connectors

Which one of the following examples of use of therefore best reflects its meaning?

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