SHOWING CAUSE AND EFFECT RELATIONSHIPS

because (a) Because the weather was cold, we Because introduces and
since stayed home. adverb clause; it is followed
(b) We stayed home because the by a subject and a verb. An
weather was cold. adverb clause may precede or
(c) Since he’s not interested in classical
follow the independent
music, he decided not to go to the clause.
concert. Punctuation: A comma is
used if the adverb clause
comes first
because of (a) Because of / Due to the cold Because of and due to are
due to weather, we stayed home. prepositions; they are
(b) We stayed home because of / due to followed by a noun object.
the cold weather Punctuation: A comma is
used if the prepositional
phrase comes before the
independent clause.
therefore (a) Tom failed the test because he didn’t (a), (b) and (c) have the same
consequently study. meaning.
so (b) Tom didn’t study. Therefore / Punctuation: In (b) a period
consequently, he failed the exam. (NOT a comma) is used at the
(c) Tom didn’t study; therefore / end of the first sentence. A
consequently, he failed the exam. semicolon (;) may be used
(d) Tom didn’t study, so he failed the instead of a period as in (c).
exam. So is a conjunction and
usually a comma is used a
comma to separate the
sentences.