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Because vs. Because Of

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Common mistakes

  1. (NG) Because of Tuesday, I had to work late.
    1. (OK) Because it’s Tuesday, I had to work late.
  2. (NG) Because the rain, we cancelled the golf game.
    1. (OK) Because of the rain, we cancelled the golf game.
  3. (NG) Because of late, I had to go home.
    1. (OK) Because it is late, I had to go home.

Grammar words and phrases in context

I love music. I guess that’s because my dad was a big music fan. Unlike most American dads who like watching sports on TV, my dad preferred listening to jazz from the 1940s. I think because of that, I’ve become a jazz fan myself.

Because

We use because plus a subject and verb. When because comes at the beginning of the sentence, use a comma after the clause containing because. When because comes in the middle of the sentence, you don’t need a comma before because.

  1. Because it was getting late, I went home.
  2. Tom must be leaving the office because he’s putting on his jacket.
  3. I like that restaurant because the food is good and the prices are reasonable.

Because of

We use because of plus a noun. Like because, when because of comes at the beginning of the sentence, use a comma after the clause containing because of. When because of comes in the middle of the sentence, you don’t need a comma before because of.

  1. Because of the rain, we cancelled the picnic.
  2. Because of the time, I went home.
  3. She was unable to eat the cake because of her diet.

Be careful about one point. Don’t use because of plus a time word. For example, you can’t say, “Because of October, the weather is getting cooler.” Instead, you can say, “Because it is October, the weather is getting cooler.”

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