How do you state reasons?

There are several ways in which we can express a reason. I call them linkers because they link your statement with the reason. Let’s look at some of 6 sets of linkers here:

Because / Since / As

These are simple linkers used to state reasons.

I am limping because / since / as I fell down the stairs.

Because is the linker that links your statement and the reason. Some other examples could be:

I reconciled the statements because / since / as it was my duty.

In all these cases, the clause after because is the reason, the one before it is the main statement.

We can also change the positions of the main statement and the reason. Note the comma after the reason clause. Omitting the comma will make it a run-on sentence.

Because / since / as it was my duty, I reconciled the statements.

Thus:

• • • • We can switch the main statement and reason with because / since / as.
      • Because / since / as can be used in the beginning or middle of the sentence.
      • Because / since / as is always preceded by a comma or a semi-colon, if it is in the middle of the sentence.

In case

Unlike the linkers because, since, and as, in case has an element of uncertainty. It seeks to say that the clause following it is a probability, and the other clause is the resultant action.  For instance,

I’m carrying an umbrella, in case it rains.

It means:

If it is true that it rains, I’m carrying an umbrella.

It means I’m carrying an umbrella as a provision against getting wet in rain.

The following construction also floats around, although I’m not its greatest fan:

In case it rains, I’m carrying an umbrella.

Otherwise

Otherwise implies that if the reason were different, the statement wouldn’t be applicable. For instance:

We have to hold elections; otherwise there would be a dictatorship and anarchy.

This means:

If the possibility of dictatorship and anarchy were not present, we needn’t hold any elections.

So, the clause after otherwise is the reason why we need to hold elections.

Other features are:

• • • • • We can switch the main statement and reason with otherwise.
        • Otherwise is always used in the middle of the sentence, never in the beginning.
        • Otherwise is always preceded by a comma or a semi-colon.

Because of / Due to / Owing to

These are linkers that are always followed by a noun or a noun phrase, and never a (clause) complete sentence. You do something because of / due to / owing to something else.

The craving for snacks is because of / due to / owing to the cold weather conditions.

Here, the cold weather conditions is the noun clause that needs to follow after the linker because of / due to / owing to. Therefore, the cold weather is the reason for the craving.

You can also add the fact that to the linker. Then we need to add a finite verb (an action word). Therefore, we can say:

The craving for snacks is because of the fact that / due to the fact that / owing to the fact that cold weather conditions prevail.

Note that I’ve removed the definite article the before cold weather because we are talking generally about prevalence of cold weather conditions.

A common error

An example for a very common error I’ve heard is:

I’m not coming to work because of / due to / owing to I am not feeling well.

The problem here is, I’m not feeling well is a clause, complete with the actor and action – a grammatically complete sentence.

Some other features are:

• • • We cannot switch the main statement and reason with because of / due to / owing to.
    • Because of / due to / owing to can be used in the beginning or middle of the sentence.
    • When used in the middle of a sentence, because of / due to / owing to is always preceded by a comma.

Therefore

This is a very formal linker used especially in writing, or speaking in a very formal setting.

He has done an act towards the commission of theft, and therefore is guilty under this section.

Here, therefore isn’t followed by the reason. It is the result. We can state this sentence using because this way:

He is guilty under this section because he has done an act towards the commission of theft.

However, clearly, the first sentence is very formal and weightier than the second. We don’t usually use it in casual communication. Even in emails, therefore is shunned if you intend to build a good rapport. Other features are:

• • • • We cannot switch the main statement and reason with so.
      • So is always used in the middle of the sentence, never in the beginning.
      • So is always preceded by a comma.

So

So has the same grammatical form as therefore. But it’s a more casual construction. Let’s state the previous example using so and see how it sounds:

He has done an act towards the commission of theft, and so is guilty under this section.

• • • • Evidently, this sounds less weighty than therefore.
      • We cannot switch the main statement and reason with so.
      • So is always used in the middle of the sentence, never in the beginning.
      • So is always preceded by a comma.