Vocabulary for reasons

Most of you will agree that we always have some motive or reason behind something. If we go to school, the aim is to learn. If you go to the gym, the reason is you want to be fit.

Sometimes we have to reason out something by looking at each side of the problem and then make a decision. 

A reason explains why you do something. There can be different reasons based on different situations; A cause can be a justification for something; It can explain some phenomena. 

Reasons usually oppose emotions and support thought and logic. If you have a good idea behind something, that means you think things thoroughly. Reasons can be verbs or nouns. Such words that are used in sentences to show some reasons are known as a vocabulary for reasons.  

These words are used as linking words as well. The difference between these words is that some are used along with verbs. Some are used along with nouns. 

Some of the common reason vocabularies is described below:

1. Because 

2. Because of 

3. Due to 

4. Owing to 

5. Due to the fact that

6. Owing to the fact

7. Since 

8. As

9. for 

All of these words are used when we show some reasons in sentences. Some of them are the same as others, and some of them differ from each other. 

Let’s see their sentence structure and differences among a few of them.

1. Because/ Because of:

Both of these words are used between two sentences, which show some reason. ‘Because’ is a conjunction, where areas because of is a preposition. The difference between them is that ‘because’ goes along with a subject+ verb and ‘because’ of a noun follows.

Because:

Example:

• Ali didn’t go to school because it was raining.
• The event was cancelled in college because the principal was sick.
• I am doing my assignments because I want good grades.
• Because Sara was feeling sick, she didn’t go to school.
• I came back from the airport because I had forgotten my ticket.

Because of:

Example:

• Ali didn’t go to school because of the rain.
• The event was cancelled because of the principal’s sickness.
• I am doing my assignments because of good grades.
• Because of her sickness, Sara didn’t go to the school/ because of feeling sick, Sara didn’t go to school.
• I came back from the airport, because of the ticket.

1. Due to/owing to:

There isn’t much difference between due to and owing to for a layman. A noun follows both of them. Using due to and owing to in sentences gives a little more formal look.

However, there is a grammar distinction between both of them, which is not resolved until today. It is said that owing to is an adverbial phrase, whereas due to is an adjectival phrase.

Owing to was mostly used in old English, but due to is being used today in sentences. A noun follows both of them.

Due to:

Example:

1. Universities will remain closed due to COVID-19.

2. I am not attending class due to weak internet.

3. The meeting was postponed due to the unavailability of the manager.

4. I am fit due to regular exercise 

5. We were due to leave at 8 am.

Owing to:

Example

1. The after party plan was cancelled owing to a lack of interest from my friends.
2. I missed my flight owing to bad traffic.
3. She was off work owing to head injury.
4. Harry’s house burnt owing to fire.

Due to the fact that /  Owing to the fact:

These phrases are used in a sentence before a subject + verb whereas ‘due to/ owing to’ were followed by nouns.  These phrases are wordy and are not used, usually in sentences. People prefer to use since or because instead of ‘due to the fact’ or ‘owing to the fact.’ 

There isn’t much difference between both of them. As learned in the previous example, that ‘due to’ is an adjectival phrase, and owing to is an adverbial phrase. So this differentiation stands for these two phrases as well. 

Some people state that ‘due to the fact’ has a more persuasive statement of casualty, whereas ‘owing to the fact’ may imply only a partial loss. 

Example:

Due to the fact:

• Due to the fact that no food was available there, so we chose a different restaurant for dinner.
• The wedding was delayed due to the fact that the groom’s friend met an accident.
• Organizers delayed the opening ceremony due to the fact that it was raining.
• I am not going to the party due to the fact that my mother is home alone.

Owing to the fact:

• Owing to the fact that no food was available there, neither beverages, so we chose a different restaurant for dinner.
• This area may quickly develop frostbite owing to the fact that it has low sensitivity to cold.
• Owing to the fact that it was raining and a thunderstorm, organizers delayed the opening ceremony.
• I am not going to the party owing to the fact that my mother is sick and home alone.

Since/ As:

Since and more are informal, and both are followed by a subject+ verb. Most of the times when we want to show a reason which is already known, since  and As are used at the start of sentence. However, both of them can be used in the middle of the sentence too. 

Example:

• Since I am full, I cannot eat more
• As I was tired, I didn’t go to college.
• Since it was already late, I didn’t bother waking her up.
• As we lost the semi-final game today, we couldn’t qualify for the finals.

For :

‘For’ is used most of the time when the reason is given as an afterthought. It is used when the focus is more on the result rather than cause. It cannot be used at the beginning of the sentence.

Example:

• I have to complete my homework for the deadline is done.
• I didn’t argue with Jones, for I knew he wouldn’t understand.
• Sara didn’t go the trial, for she had no proves.

Conclusion:

All of the above words are used to show reasons. They are followed by either nouns or verbs, Which is the only distinction between them.

Exercise: Chose the correct option for the sentences given below.

1. ____ those shoes are expensive; they are harder to find.
2. As/ since
3. Because 
4. For 
5. Due to 
6. Harry didn’t go to the store, ____ his sickness
7. because 
8. since 
9. due to 
10. owing to 
11. college is off today____  scorching sun.
12. owing to 
13. due to 
14. because 
15. for
16. I am not talking to him ___ he is not in the mood now.
17. Because 
18. For 
19. Because of 
20. Since 
21. I am not going for lunch, ___ I am not hungry 
22. For 
23. Since 
24. Because 
25. Due to