Thursday Tidbits - using Because of and Due to...

Thursday Tidbits – Using Because of and Due to

Using Because of and Due to

“Because of” and “Due to” are to commonly used phrases in English. They are used in subordinate clauses to explain a face in the main clause. They are always followed by a noun or noun phrase and never with a verb. You can use them at the beginning of sentence or in the middle of a sentence, but if used at the beginning the noun or noun phrase must be followed by a comma. “Because of” and “Due to” are almost interchangeable but there are slight differences.

Because of

Because of is generally used for sentences with a positive or neutral meaning.

EX

Because of my great sales, I received a raise.

Or at the end of a sentence

I received a raise because of my great sales.

Due to

“Due to” can be used in place of “Because of: but it is often used in sentences with a negative connotation.

EX

Due to Toms’ poor sales, he was fired.

Or at the end of a sentence

Tom was fired due to his poor sales.

Common mistakes

Due to I was tired, I went home early.

This is incorrect because after “due to” there is a verb, and “due to” and” because of” are always followed by nouns or noun phrases.

The meeting was called due the rain.

This is incorrect because the sentence is missing “to” after “due.” Many English Learners accidentally leave off the “to” when using “due to.”

Check yourself

Choose the correct option and add a comma if necessary

1. (Because of/Due to) the meeting taking all day, I didn’t get home until midnight.
2. I really enjoy pickles (because of/due to) their flavor.
3. She was almost hit (because of/due to) the man driving recklessly.
4. (Because of/Due to) El Niño, the weather was really rainy.
5. (Because of/Due to) poor sanitation, everyone got sick at the restraint.
6. I really enjoyed the movie (because of/due to) its excellent plot.
7. 
   

Answers to last week’s Check Yourself

1. I (am/have/no verb) 13 years old.
2. I (am/have/no verb) a turtle. He (is/has/no verb) 100 years old.
3. I (am/have/no verb) so happy, that you (are/have/no verb) agree with me.
4. I (have/am/no verb) not eaten in hours. I (am/verb/no verb) hungry.
5. I (have/am/no verb) a friend named sally and she (is/has/no verb) 32 years old