Just like any other language, The English language is also very interesting. In this language, there are many words available, which make the same meaning. These words are known as synonyms. Due to their same meaning, these synonyms can be used alternatively in the sentences. They give writers the option to choose an appropriate word according to the situation.
“Because” and “Due to” are synonyms. The meaning of both is the same, both of them represent cause or reason. By using these words anyone can introduce a phrase or word, which stands for an explanation of the event. Both of these express the cause why any event has happened or it will be going to happen.
For this reason, many people believe that they are the same, and it can be used in the English language without any discretion. However, the reality is quite contrary. Even though the meaning is the same, but there are many differences between these two words.
Because vs Due To
The main difference between Because and Due to is that “because” is an adverb that is followed by a subject and a verb; where the “Due to” is an adjective, which is followed by a noun or noun phrase.
Comparison Table Between Because and Due To (in Tabular Form)
| Parameter of Comparison | Because | Due to |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | “Because” is an adverb and it is used as a conjunction. | “Due to” is an adjective and it is also used as conjunction too. |
| Use | Followed by a subject and a verb. | Followed by a noun or noun phrase. |
| Preparation | “Because” is a word. | “Due to” is a term. |
| Expressing time | “Because” cannot be used to express the time of an event. | “Due to” can be used as an infinitive, when it is assumed that something is about to happen at a given time. |
| Example | Because it was raining, we postponed the event. | We postponed the event due to the rain. |
When to Use Because?
In the English language “Because” is a word that is used to explain causality. By using this word anyone can show the reason behind any action. As an example, “I am hungry because I haven’t eaten anything last night.” Here the word shows the reason behind the hunger.
Here is another example, “My leg hurts because I had an accident.” In this example, there is the reasoning behind the pain in the leg and the accident. The word “because” enjoined these two reasons.
In this same example the word “because” joins the two sentences. “My leg hurts” and “I had an accident”. Therefore, the word “because” can be used as a subordinating conjunction.
Any sentence with the word “because” remains incomplete without a noun/pronoun and appropriate verb. As an example, “I like this game because it played it already.” For this reason, at the time of using the word “Because”, the user must use a noun/pronoun and appropriate verb in the sentence.
However, this rule doesn’t apply when the word “Because” is used with the word “of”. As an example, “Because of Newton’s Law, everything falls.” Here the word “Newton’s Law” is the noun and there is no verb associate in the sentence.
When to Use Due To?
The term “Due to” can be considered as an academic term. Even though in regular vocabulary there are many uses for this term, but it is often used in academic writing. As an example, “The Company failed to make any profit this quarter due to operating loss.”
The term “Due to” is used to own things up. It is used to express the primary reason behind the event or action. As an example, “Due to heavy rain, I am stranded in the water.”
“Due to” is a term that introduces adjective phrases and modifies nouns. As an example, “His success was due to hard work.” In this sentence, “due to hard work” modifies the noun “success”. According to English grammar, it is advised to use the term “due to” with a form of a verb like is, am, are, was, and were.
Often the term “Due to” is used to express the time of an event that is going to happen at a designated time. “80% of our students are due to pass out in six months.”Here the term is used as infinitive. “Due to” is one such term that can be used when it is assumed that something is about to happen at a certain time.
Main Differences Between Because and Due To
- The primary difference between “because” and “due to” is that “because” is a word, and it is made up of seven letters. On the other hand, “due to” is a term, which is made up of two separate words.
- “Because” is an adverb, and “due to” is an adjective. Both of them can be used as a conjunction.
- “Because” is followed by a subject and a verb. However, “due to” is followed by a noun or noun phrase.
- Sometimes “due to” can be used as an infinitive, where it is assumed that something is about to happen at a certain time. As an example, “Most of our labor force is due to retire in two years.”
- Here are two examples that show the difference between “because” and “due to”. “Because it was raining, we postponed the event.” and “we postponed the event due to the rain.” Even though the meaning of these two sentences is the same, but they are expressed in different ways.
Conclusion
“Because” and “Due to” are synonyms. These two are often used to express reasoning. In the English language usage of these words are very common, both for vocabulary and writing. Even though the meaning of them is the same, but their usage is not.
At the time of usage, the user needs to follow the appropriate grammatical structure for sentence making. Otherwise, it will be an incorrect sentence, and it will be considered as a grammatical mistake.
When used appropriately, these words enhance the richness of the sentences. They not only make the sentence grammatically correct but also make it beautiful. For this reason, it is advised to remember the grammatical structure of these words, and use them appropriately in the sentences.
References
- https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/because
- https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/due-to