How do I use ‘because’?
You are probably already familiar with using because in the middle of a sentence. An example of this might be:
The popularity of coffee has increased because of its appearance in many shows like ‘Friends’.
In this class, I’m going to show you how you can flip this sentence. In the sentence above, we start with a fact and then give the reason for it. However, we can also do this the other way around like so:
Because of its appearance in many shows like ‘Friends’, the popularity of coffee has increased.
In this sentence, we have started with the reason, added a comma and then given the fact.
Why start a sentence with ‘because’?
The reason to use because at the start of a sentence is simple, it is harder, rarer and more impressive than using it in the middle of a sentence. This won’t take your grammar score to the next band on its own. However, if you do this along with other tweaks, it can start to make a difference.
What are some examples of using ‘because’ in this way?
These examples should help you get an idea of how we use because for IELTS writing.
Because young people regularly see violent images on TV, they become desensitised to it.
Because fast food contains lots of fat and sugar, eating too much can have a negative impact on people’s health.
Because of the increase in carbon dioxide levels, the global temperature has increased.
Because tourists often don’t leave their resort, their money does not always flow into the local economy.
How can I practice ‘because’?
I’ve included some sentences you can practice with below. You can try and combine them with ‘because’. Don’t forget to check out the answers at the bottom of this page. Be careful with these because you might have to reorder the sentences before combining them. In other words, make sure the reason goes before the fact.
- Space exploration is very expensive. Our money would be better spent elsewhere.
- Art galleries should be free. Art is so important.
- I believe that it is better for children to grow up in the countryside. It is better for their health.
- People should strongly consider cutting down on meat or even adopting a vegetarian diet. Raising livestock meat has serious impacts for the environment.
- We should encourage cycling. Cycling improves people’s health and reduces traffic congestion.
My answers
- Because space exploration is very expensive, our money would be better spent elsewhere.
- Because art is so important, art galleries should be free.
- Because it is better for their health, I believe that it is better for children to grow up in the countryside.
- Because raising livestock meat has serious impacts for the environment, people should strongly consider cutting down on meat or even adopting a vegetarian diet.
- Cycling improves people’s health and reduces traffic congestion, we should encourage cycling.
