EXPRESSING REASON, PURPOSE AND CONTRAST

REASON
1. As/Since, because + CLAUSE

e.g. As it was getting late, I decided I should go home.

e.g. We must be near the beach, because I can hear the waves.

You can begin a sentence with because:

e.g. Because everything looked different, I had no idea where to go.

e.g. Since he was going to be living in Sweden for some time, he thought he should read
something about the country. (Rather formal)

2. Because of, due to, owing to + NOUN

Because of is used before a noun or noun phrase:

e.g. We won't be able to come because of the bad weather.

Due to

e.g. She was unable to run due to a leg injury.*

*Due to can be followed by a clause (SVO) as long as we use the fact that.

e.g. She was unable to run due to the fact that she had injured her leg.

Owing to (not after the verb to be)

e.g. We have less money to spend owing to budget cuts.

PURPOSE
1. So (that) + CLAUSE

So that is usually followed by can, could, will or would:

e.g. The police locked the door so that no-one could get in.

2. Infinitive of purpose (to) + INFINITIVE

e.g. Jack went to England (not) to study engineering.

3. In order to, so as to + INFINITIVE (more formal)

e.g. Scientists used only local materials, in order (not) to/so as (not) to save money.

4. For + -ING

For describes how something is used

e.g. This button is for starting the engine.

RESULT
1. So / Such

SO + ADJ / ADV

SUCH + (A/AN) + ADJ + NOUN

e.g. Jim was so tall (that) he hit his head on the ceiling. = Jim was such a tall boy (that) he…

e.g. The weather was so bad (that) we put off the trip. = There was such bad weather (that) we…

2. So much (uncount)/many (count)/few (count)/little (uncount) + noun + that

e.g. There were so many passengers (that) we couldn't find a seat.

e.g. There was so much fog (that) we couldn’t use the car.

e.g. There was so little fog (that) we could use the car.

3. Too + adjective + to

e.g. The table was too heavy to lift.

Too much (uncountable) / Too many (countable) + NOUNS

e.g. There were too many people to eat.

e.g. There was too much time to rest.

4. Not + adjective + enough

e.g. The table was not light enough to lift.

ENOUGH + noun

e.g. We didn’t have enough time to finish the exercise.

CONTRAST
1. Although, though, even though, while, whereas

Though can come at the end of a sentence, although cannot:

e.g. Although I asked her, she didn't come. / I asked her, (but) she didn't come, though.

Even though is more emphatic:

e.g. Even though I asked her, she didn't come. (which was surprising)

While and whereas are rather formal. They contrast opposite ideas:

e.g. While United were fast and accurate, City were slow and careless.
2. However

This is more common in formal speech and writing:

e.g. It's cheap. However, I don't like it. / I don't like it, however.

3. Nevertheless

This is a very formal way of expressing however:

e.g. Smith says he is poor. Nevertheless, he has bought a new car.

4. Despite and in spite of

They can be followed by nouns (or gerunds), and not by clauses:

e.g. Despite losing, we celebrated. = Although we lost, we celebrated.

e.g. In spite of the rain, we went out. = Even though it was raining, we…

BUT: Despite/In spite of can be followed by a clause (SVO) as long as we use the fact that.

e.g. Despite / In spite of the fact that we lost, we celebrated.