Because, As and Since
Hello English learners. Welcome to a new lesson. Today, we will look at the linking words because, as and since.
The linking words because, as and since are used to link the result of something with its reason. Is there a difference between them? Let’s look at them separately.
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Because
Because is the most commonly used of the three. It introduces the reason why we do something.
- The boy cried because he hurt his knee.
- The prisoner was released earlier because his conduct was very good.
- I can’t lock the suitcase because it is full.
Because, As and Since
Because vs Because of
We use because with a verb when we give the reason for something, but we use because of with the noun to give the reason.
- We stayed at home because it was raining.
- We stayed at home because of the weather.
Learn other ways to say because here
As
The word as is mostly used for comparison but in this lesson, we shall discuss it as a synonym of because. As is used to introduce the reason why something exists or happens and it is more formal than because.
- A few children were absent from school as they were ill.
- We need to calm down as the firefighters are here and they’ll take care of the fire.
- Tom asked Mark to drive him to the airport as he knew the way there.
Because, As and Since
Since
Like as, since has different functions in a sentence. It is most commonly used to define the period from the past to the present with the present perfect. However, we can also use it to give the reason for something. It is also more formal than because.
- Since Maria didn’t want to discuss it, we decided to let it go.
- They couldn’t hear us since they were far away.
- Anna felt miserable since her husband left her.
Is there a difference between the three linking words? Well, there is. Not only as and since are more formal than because, but also because is more focused on the reason while as and since are more focused on the result.
- They decided to go home because the party was dying. (focus is on the reason – the party was dying)
- As/since it is raining heavily, I think we should stay at home. (focus is on the result – we should stay at home; the reason is clear)
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