Meaning & use
due to
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Meaning
prepositionfixed phrase
Because of; as a result of a particular thing.
Grammar: Followed by a noun or noun phrase: due to the rain. Not followed by a clause.
Patterns
- due to something
- due to bad weather
- due to a mistake
The flight was delayed due to heavy snow.
Due to his injury, he missed the final match.
The event was canceled due to lack of interest.
Common combinations
- due to the fact that
- Due to the fact that it rained, we stayed inside.
- due to circumstances
- Due to circumstances beyond our control, the meeting is postponed.
- due to popular demand
- The show was extended due to popular demand.
Synonyms and how they differ
- because of
- Because of is more common in everyday speech and is preferred by some style guides at the start of a sentence.
- owing to
- Owing to is more formal and often used in writing; due to is more common in both speech and writing.
- on account of
- On account of is more formal and slightly old-fashioned; due to is neutral.
Commonly confused: due to or do to? due to or because?
due to vs do to
'Do to' is a common spelling error for 'due to'. 'Do to' would be a verb phrase (e.g., 'What did you do to him?'), not a preposition.
due to vs because
Because is a conjunction followed by a clause (because it rained); due to is a preposition followed by a noun (due to the rain).
Practice
The game was postponed ______ the heavy rain.
Choose one answer.
'Due to' is correct because it is followed by a noun phrase 'the heavy rain'. 'Because' needs a clause (because it rained), 'although' shows contrast, and 'so' shows result but would need a different structure.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “due to”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.