UNIT 9. CLAUSES OF REASON AND PURPOSE

Clauses of reason and purpose

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W/14. Unit 9. Seminar14

Clauses of reason

Clauses of reason are used to express the reason for something. They are introduced with the following conjunctions.

• because, since, as as long as
• now that
• seeing that
• because of the fact that
• due of the fact that
• owing to the fact that
• on the account of the fact that
• in as much as
• on the grounds that

EXAMPLES

• She took a taxi because she was late.
• The fuse blew because we had overloaded the circuit.
• I sing because I like singing.
• His electricity was cut off because he had not paid the bill.
• We camped there, as it was very dark there.
• I’ll have to buy a map, as I don’t know the area.
• As we're both tired, we agreed to stop playing.
• As he wasn’t at home, I left a message to his mother.
• As/Since it was his birthday, they bought him a gift.
• Since he has apologized, we will take no further action against him.
• Middle English possessed a larger vocabulary than either French or Old English, since it combined words from both.
• You should get a credit card since you have a job.
• Now that he has passed the exams, his parents are pleased with him.
• Now that they have children, they have less free time.

• Seeing that Tom knows French, he had better do the talking.

• As long as he works for this company, he can’t learn anything.
• Now that he has a lot of money, he can afford a new computer.
• Seeing that she is old enough to get married, I don’t see how you can stop her.
• The match was cancelled due to/ owing to/ on account of the fact that there was a terrible storm.
• In view of the fact that it is raining, we should take our umbrellas.
• Inasmuch as language is constantly changing, the rules of grammar change also.
• Inasmuch as it was done in a hurry, there emerged a lot of mistakes afterwards.
• He left on the grounds that he was ill.

Clauses of purpose are used to express the purpose of an action. They explain why someone does something. They are introduced with the following conjunctions.

• in order to
• so as to
• in order that
• so that

EXAMPLES

• Jerry earned a Master’s degree in International Relations in order to improve his career.
• We will send you the forms in order that you can make your application.
• I wrote the number down in order not to forget it.
• The doctor examined the patient in order to find out what was wrong with him.

• He repaired his car in order to enable his friend to use it.
• He ate vegetables in order to stay healthy.
• He did a postgraduate course in order to/so as to widen his knowledge of international politics.

• We locked the gate in order that no uninvited persons could come in.
• I worked hard in order that I could complete the project.
• They had to take some of his land so that they could extend the churchyard.

• We carved their names on the stone so that future generations might know what they have done.
• I am studying hard so that I can past the test.
• I am leaving now so that I will be there by 6 p.m.
• We are starting now so that we will reach there before sunset.
• I came here early so that I could meet you on time.
• I sent her letter today so that she will get it by Thursday.
• I am going to make an early start so that I can reach there before 3 p.m.
• Cindy wrote down Mary’s phone number so that she could call her the following week.
• He recorded the match so that he could watch it later.
• Emma has booked a first-class ticket so that she can travel in comfort.

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