Key Difference

• “Because” is a conjunction that introduces a reason for something. It is used with clauses (complete sentences).
• “Because of” is a preposition that introduces the cause of something and is followed by a noun or noun phrase.

Let’s dive deeper!

1. “Because” (Conjunction)

Definition: We use “because” to introduce a reason or explain why something happens. It’s followed by a subject and verb (a full clause).

Examples:

• I stayed home because it was raining.
  (Full clause: “it was raining”)
• She didn’t go to the party because she was tired.
  (Full clause: “she was tired”)

Usage:
“Because” connects two parts of a sentence: the action and the reason for the action. It answers “Why?”.

1. “Because of” (Preposition)

Definition: “Because of” introduces the cause or reason and is followed by a noun or noun phrase (not a complete sentence).

Examples:

• I stayed home because of the rain.
  (Noun: “the rain”)
• She didn’t go to the party because of her tiredness.
  (Noun phrase: “her tiredness”)

Usage:
“Because of” connects the result (what happened) with the reason (a noun or noun phrase that caused it). It’s useful when you want to keep your sentence simpler without adding another clause.

Visual Aid 🖼️

• Because (requires a subject + verb):
  I was late because the traffic was bad.
  ➡️ (Why?) The traffic was bad. (Full clause)
• Because of (requires a noun or noun phrase):
  I was late because of the bad traffic.
  ➡️ (Why?) The bad traffic. (Noun phrase)

Common Mistakes:

1. Using “because of” with a full clause
   ❌ Incorrect: I stayed home because of it was raining.
   ✅ Correct: I stayed home because it was raining.
2. Using “because” without a full clause
   ❌ Incorrect: I stayed home because the rain.
   ✅ Correct: I stayed home because of the rain.

Practice Time! 📝

Fill in the blanks with either “because” or “because of”:

1. I didn’t go to the park _______ the bad weather.
2. She was happy _______ she passed the exam.
3. We couldn’t attend the meeting _______ traffic jams.
4. He is late _______ he missed the bus.

Answers:

1. because of
2. because
3. because of
4. because

Pro Tip:

If you can ask “What was the reason?” and the answer is a full sentence, use “because.” If the answer is just a noun or noun phrase, use “because of.”