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Business & Technical Writing/"Due to" vs. "because of"

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Expert: Alice J. Bogert - 3/14/2007


Question
Hello Alice,

Will you please explain the difference between and appropriate usage of the terms "due to" and "because of"? Thanks for your help.

Regards,
Shawna

Answer
Hi Shawna,

Good question with a relatively complex answer.  A good rule of thumb is to use "because of" if you can answer the question "why" without a complete sentence.

Example:  I lost my job because of an employee conflict.
Question:  Why did you lose your job?
Non-sentence Answer:  Because of an employee conflict.

Generally, "due to" modifies nouns and follows the verb "to be" (is, was, were, am, etc)  My job loss was due to an employee conflict.  In this sentence, "due to" modifies the noun, "job loss," and follows the "to be" verb, "was."


"Because of," on the other hand, modifies verbs. I lost my job because of an employee conflict. In this case, "because of" modifies the verb "lost."

In most cases, "because of" is preferred.  "Was" is a rather weak "to be" verb.  "Lost" is a much stronger verb, and as much as possible, we try to incorporate active verbs rather than passive verbs in our writing.

Take care.

Alice J. Bogert

Business & Technical Writing

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Alice J. Bogert

Expertise

I have taught English grammar to elementary school, high school, and college students for several years in addition to private tutoring for students struggling with writing assignments. I also teach adult writing classes for business professionals in the private sector as well as for various government agencies. I have edited manuscripts and other writings submitted by various authors for publication to magazines and journals

Experience

I have studied English grammar for many years. While employed as a federal probation officer, I wrote hundreds of pre-sentence reports to assist federal judges in making fair and appropriate sentencing decisions. I've written short stories and poetry for publication, and I've helped write policy and procedure manuals for various government offices.

Organizations
National Association of Retired Federal Employees Writers Guild of America Professional Women's Assoc.

Publications
"Journal of Juvenile and Family Courts," 1978. "International Library of Poetry," 2003.

Education/Credentials
I have an M.A, Degree in Sociology, and I minored in English.

Awards and Honors
I received three meritorious quality step awards for excellence during my career as a federal probation officer. I was also a nominee for National Probation Officer of the Year in 1986. I am listed in the 1998 edition of "Who's Who in Professions."

Past/Present Clients
California County and State government Federal government Various School Districts Los Rio Community College District Readers' Digest

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