Linking Words In English – Reasons And Results
Linking words help you connect the ideas in a sentence.
Linking words help you connect the ideas in a sentence. In this lesson, you’ll learn some common linking words to express reasons and results.
Linking Words: Reasons
Because / Because of
The difference between these two words is that because is followed by a subject + verb, and because of is followed by a noun:
The game was canceled because of the rain.
The game was canceled because it was raining.
In spoken English, many people say ’cause as a short form of “because.”
Due to / Owing to
Due to and owing to are also followed by a noun. These words are a little more formal.
There’s a lot of traffic today due to the upcoming holiday.
(holiday = noun)The after-school program was canceled owing to lack of interest from the students.
(lack = noun)
Due to the fact that / Owing to the fact that
Use these phrases before a subject + verb. Again, these phrases are a little more formal.
Many people are still unemployed due to the fact that the economic recovery has been slower than anticipated.
The publisher rejected the author’s latest work owing to the fact that the manuscript was full of errors.
Since / As
Since and as are more informal, and they are followed by a subject + verb.
I’m going to bed at 10 PM since I need to get up early tomorrow morning.
I didn’t go to the gym today, as I had a lot of homework to do.
Linking Words: Results
Therefore / Consequently / As a result
These words are more formal, and are more commonly used in written English.
Our company’s profits have increased 150% in the past year. Therefore, we’re going to invest in new equipment and training programs.
The tennis player had knee surgery mid-October; consequently, she took the rest of the season off.
There have been heavy rains throughout the interior of the state. As a result, several areas have experienced flooding.
So
“So” is more informal, and more commonly used in spoken English.
We were hungry, so we stopped at a cafe for a snack.
