Ways of Giving Reasons in English

Ways of Giving Reasons in English

What are the words and phrases we use for giving reasons in English? They are: because, because of, the reason (for this) is, in order to, why, as a result of, for, through, due to, owing to.

Because/Because of

Both ‘because’ and ‘because of’ are used to tell a reason. ‘Because’ is a conjunction and we normally use it in a subject + verb construction; ‘because of’ is a preposition and it goes with a gerund or a noun.

For example:

• I got up early because I couldn’t sleep.
• I got up early because of my inability to sleep.
• I got up early because of not being able to sleep.

You shouldn’t use ‘because’ or ‘because of’ at the beginning of the sentence. Instead, use the phrase ‘the reason (for this) is’.

Ways of giving reasons in English

The reason (for this) is

• The police arrested two men last night. The reason for this is a bank robbery.
• The reason I’m writing is to apply for a position in your company.

In order to

‘In order to’ is a conjunction we use to introduce a purpose.

For example:

• John works two jobs in order to support his numerous family.
• He caught an early train in order not to be late for the meeting.

Ways of giving reasons in English

Why

‘Why’ is a conjunction we use to introduce the reason that causes something to happen.

For example:

• Michael never found out why his wife left him.
• Scientists have finally found the reason why chocolate is addictive.

As a result of

‘As a result of’ explains the reason something happens.

For example:

• We couldn’t get a bank loan to buy a house as a result of inflation.
• As a result of hard police work, the crime rate is lower than last year.

Ways of giving reasons in English

For

‘For’ is a preposition that explains a particular reason.

• The judge sentenced him to death for his crime.
• Many people today decide not to eat meat for health reasons.

Through

‘Through’ is a preposition we normally use to explain why someone or something succeeded or failed.

For example:

• She became successful through her hard work.
• The company lost a lot of customers through poor maintenance of the products.

Ways of giving reasons in English

Due to/Owing to

Due to/owing to are prepositions that introduce the reason why something has happened. They are formal expressions, and they are used more in writing than in spoken English.

For example:

• The plane was delayed due to the bad weather.
• The nomination was cancelled owing to a lack of interest.

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