Meaning & use
because of
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Meaning
preposition
as a result of something or someone; used to introduce the cause of an event.
Grammar: Followed by a noun, pronoun, or -ing form, not by a full clause: 'because of the rain', not 'because of it rained'.
Patterns
- because of something
- because of someone
- because of doing something
The game was canceled because of the heavy snow.
She missed the meeting because of a doctor's appointment.
He got the job because of his excellent references.
Common combinations
- because of the weather
- We stayed inside because of the weather.
- because of you
- I almost missed the train because of you!
- because of illness
- Several students were absent because of illness.
- partly because of
- The delay was partly because of technical problems.
Synonyms and how they differ
- due to
- More formal and often used after the verb 'be': 'The delay was due to rain.'
- owing to
- Formal British English; similar meaning but less common in everyday speech.
- on account of
- Formal or old-fashioned; can sound a little stiff in conversation.
Commonly confused: because of or because?
because of vs because
'Because' is a conjunction and comes before a clause: 'because it rained'. 'Because of' comes before a noun phrase: 'because of the rain'.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
'Because of' must be followed by a noun phrase ('the rain'), not a clause. Option 1, 3, and 4 incorrectly use a clause after 'because of'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “because of”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.