[log in to unmask] wrote:
>

> Do you know whether there is a difference between "since" and "because"?
> Particularly, does "since" denote a time span while "because" denotes
> only a
> cause/effect relationship?

'Since' has both a time-span and a causation sense. Although some people
do not approve of the causation sense, it has been in use in the
language for some centuries (C. T. Onions lists 'seeing that' as a
meaning of 'since' from the 15th century). The disapproval is therefore
a matter of stylistic judgment rather than grammaticality.

> Or, can the two words be used
> interchangeably?

No, they cannot. 'Because' has only a causation sense, no time sense. In
the causation sense, they are close (as subordinating conjunctions). I
would bet, however, that a careful examination of actual use would
render some pattern of difference (perhaps 'because' occurs when a
stronger causation effect is present; 'since' is more circumstantial, as
'seeing that' suggests). But this is pure speculation.

>If
> you can provide a definitive answer, is there an accessible textbook
> that I
> could find to support the rule? I'm having a debate with my English
> teacher.

QUIGLS ('A comprehensive grammar of the English language', some 1770
pages, by Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech & Svartvik, widely recognized as an
excellent description of English grammar) lists 'since' as both a 'time'
and a 'reason' subordinator.

For more detail, you might want to consult 'Ask a Linguist' at:

http://linguistlist.org/~ask-ling/index.html

Your question will be forwarded to a specialist on this topic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Johanna Rubba   Assistant Professor, Linguistics
English Department, California Polytechnic State University
One Grand Avenue  • San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
Tel. (805)-756-2184  •  Fax: (805)-756-6374 • Dept. Phone.  756-259
• E-mail: [log in to unmask] •  Home page: http://www.calpoly.edu/~jrubba
                                       **
"Understanding is a lot like sex; it's got a practical purpose,
but that's not why people do it normally"  -            Frank  Oppenheimer
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