Here's the first web site that came up when I googled "due to vs. because" http://web.ku.edu/~edit/because.html Here's what they had to say. I know what I'd say if I were a student - "Who gives a sh*&*^!"Different due to because of . . . The word pairs “because of” and “due to” are
not interchangeable. The reason they are not is that they “grew up” differently
in the language.
“Because of” grew up as an adverb; “due to” grew up as an adjective. Remember
that adjectives modify only nouns or pronouns, whereas adverbs usually modify
verbs. (The fact that adverbs occasionally modify other adverbs or even
adjectives and entire phrases is not relevant to this particular discussion.)
To be more precise, with their attendant words, “due to” and “because of”
operate as adjectival and adverbial prepositional phrases. To understand how
the functions of “due to” and “because of” vary, look at these sentences.
1. His defeat was due to the
lottery issue.
2.
He was defeated because of the lottery issue.
In sentence #1,
his is a possessive pronoun that modifies the noun defeat. The verb “was” is a
linking verb. So, to create a sentence, we need a subject complement after the
verb “was.” The adjectival prepositional phrase “due to the lottery issue” is
that complement, linked to the subject by “was.” Thus, it modifies the noun
defeat.
But in sentence #2, the pronoun "he" has become the sentence's
subject. The verb is now “was defeated.” As reconstructed, “He was defeated”
could in fact be a complete sentence. And “due to” has nothing to modify. It's
an adjective, remember? It can't very well modify the pronoun “he,” can it?
Neither can it refer to “was defeated” because adjectives don't modify verbs.
Sentence 2, therefore, should read: “He was defeated because of the lottery
issue.” Now the “why” of the verb “was defeated” is explained, properly, by an
adverbial prepositional phrase, “because of.”
In informal speech, we probably can get by with such improper usage as “His
defeat was because of the lottery issue,” and “He was defeated due to the
lottery issue.” But we shouldn't accept that kind of sloppiness in writing. We
don't want to look stupid among those in the audience who know better. If we
show them we don't care about the language, how can we expect them to believe
us when we tell them that we care about the facts?
OK, how well do you know it? A little practice
makes perfect. Click here, if you're game.
Geoff Layton
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:06:49 -0500
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: 'Bad' English
To: [log in to unmask]
Brad, you're not alone. I wondered about #4 as well. Maybe there is an objection to using "had to"? But what is the other option in the past tense since there is no past for "must" in modern English? I suppose "were were forced to" but that gives a much more passive meaning. Perhaps the author objects to fronting the adverb phrase?
John
On Tue, Sep 20, 2011 at 5:56 PM, Brad Layton <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
I'm reluctant to place my ignorance on public display :) , but ...
What is "incorrect" about #4?
(4) Due to the rain, we had to cancel the
picnic.
Thanks,
Brad Layton
-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Catledge <[log in to unmask]>
To: ATEG <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Mon, Sep 19, 2011 7:26 pm
Subject: 'Bad' English
Trask in his Why do Languages Change includes
(p. 10) nine sentences that he considered would be or shortly
become
accepted as "normal English grammar." One of the
sentences (number seven) is strictly conversational and unlikely
to be encountered in normal writing: I consider the
other eight to have egregious errors. What do you think?
(1) I recommend you to take the job.
(2) He demanded that the agitators were
arrested.
(3) This is just between you and I.
(4) Due to the rain, we had to cancel the
picnic.
(5) This paper was written by Susie and myself.
(6) Please come between eight a.m. to six
p.m.
(7) If he'd've played, we would have won.
(8) He makes tedious
jokes about mother-in-laws.
(9) Having said that, there is no feasible
alternative.
Scott Catledge
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