reason and result clauses

7/29/2019 Reason and Result Clauses

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REASON, PURPOSE, AND RESULT

REASON:

I went home early because / since / as I was feeling tired.

Note: it is common to put since / as at the beginning of the sentence.e.g: Since / As I was feeling tired, I left early.

We always go there because the scenery is so beautiful.(because + clause: subject + verb)

We always go there because ofthe beautiful scenery.(because of+ noun or noun phrase)

Due to means the same as because of, and is often used to explain the

reason for a problem:

The plane was late due to bad weather.(Due to is often used after the verb to be)

CAUSE and RESULT verbs

Police think the driver caused / was responsible for the accident.(made it happen)

The extra investment should lead to / result in more jobs.

(make it happen)

Cause and result verbs sometimes appear together in this way:

Police think a cigarette caused the fire, which resulted in thedestruction of the building.

PURPOSE

A purpose is an intention, an aim, or a reason for doing something.e.g., The purpose ofbuying this book is to improve my English.

But we often introduce a purpose using so (that) or in order to:

I bought this book so (that) I can improve my English.We moved to this neighborhood so (that) we could send our children tothis schoolThey went home early in order to beat the traffic.


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Note: In spoken English, people often just say so (without that). It isalso very common (as in the examples) to use a modal verb, e.g., can orcould, in a clause after so that.

RESULT

I left the ticket at home, so I had to buy another one.The manager was out sick. As a result, there was no one to makedecisions.I forgot to send the letters. Consequently, some people didnt knowabout the meeting.She worked extremely hard and therefore deserved the promotion.

Note:So is the most common of these linking words in spoken English,and usually links ideas in a single sentence. As a result andconsequently are more formal and usually connect ideas in twoseparate sentences ( as in the examples). Therefore (also more formal)

can be used in a single sentence (as in the example), but it may alsoconnect two sentences.

EXERCISES:

a).- Combine the two sentences into one sentence using so, sothat, because, as, or since. More than one answer is possible insome sentences.

1.- I didnt call you. It was very late.I didnt call you because it was verylate. or It was very late, so I didnt call you.

2.- I turned up the radio in the living room. I could hear it in the kitchen.__________________________________________________________________3.- The restaurant was full. We went to the coffee shop next door.__________________________________________________________________4.- The company has poor management. These has been a drop inprofits.__________________________________________________________________5.- It is a very large city. You have to use public transportation a lot.__________________________________________________________________6.- I learned to drive. My mother didnt have to take me to school everyday.

__________________________________________________________________

b).- Rewrite the sentences with because of. Make changes ifnecessary.

1.- He couldnt play soccer because he had an injured shoulder.He couldnt play soccer because of his injuredshoulder._____________________2.- She got the job because her qualifications are excellent.


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__________________________________________________________________3.- The weather was awful, so we couldnt eat outside.__________________________________________________________________4.- She has to stay home because she had a broken ankle.__________________________________________________________________5.- The flowers died because it was so dry.

__________________________________________________________________6.- The traffic was heavy. I was half an hour late.__________________________________________________________________

c).- Complete this memo from a manager to the staff. Use wordsfrom the first pages.

To: All staff Date: August 9th

From: The Manager Subject: Temporary roadwork

Starting next Monday (and continuing all week), there will beconstruction on the major roads leading to the factory. (1) Because /Since / As this will (2) _________ delays, please try to leave home a fewminutes early in the morning (3) _________ everyone arrives on time. Theconstruction could also (4) _________________ severe traffic congestion.(5) _________________ , you may want to consider using publictransportation instead of driving.

Thanks for your cooperation.

d).- These sentences are about learning English. Complete themin a logical way.

1.- I want to improve my English because I will need it in my job verysoon.______2.- I bought myself a personal stereo so that I_____________________________3.- I study English on weekends since ___________________________________4.- I always write words down in my notebook in order to____________________5.- I dont get many opportunities to practice my English. Consequently,

__________________________________________________________________6.- My brother has a lot of American and Canadian friends. As a result,__________________________________________________________________


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ANSWERS

a).- Suggested answers:

2.- I turned up the radio in the living room so (that) I could hear it in thekitchen. Or

I turned up the radio in the living room in order to hear it in thekitchen.3.- The restaurant was full, so we went to the coffee shop next door.Or

We went to the coffee shop next door because / since / as therestaurant was

full.4.- The companys poor management has caused / is responsible for /has led to /

has resulted in a drop in profits.5.- It is a very large city, so you have to use public transportation a lot.Or

You have to use public transportation a lot because / since / as it is avery large

city.6.- I learned to drive so (that) my mother wouldnt have to take me toschool every

day. (purpose) I learned to drive , so my mother didnt have to takeme to

school every day. (result)

b).-2.- She got the job because of her excellent qualifications.3.- We couldnt eat outside because of the awful weather.4.- She had to stay home because of a broken ankle.5.- The flowers died because of the dry weather / the dryness.


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6.- I was half an hour late because of the heavy traffic.

c).-2.- cause / led to / result in 4.- cause / led to / result in3.- so that 5.- Therefore / Consequently

d).- Possible answers2.- I bought myself a personal stereo so that I can / could listen toEnglish cassettes on the bus.3.- I study English on weekends since I am very busy during the week.4.- I always write words down in my notebook in order to help meremember them.5.- I dont get many opportunities to practice my English. Consequently,I find it difficult to remember everything I study.6.- My brother has a lot of American and Canadian friends. As a result,he gets a lot of opportunities to practice his English.

reason and result clauses

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