写作表达多样化之Giving Reasons

1. What you say when giving reasons for something

because

• The idea was rejected because it was too expensive.

the reason (for this) is

used when giving the reason for something, especially when the explanation is quite long:

• These printers quickly achieved a market share of over 60%. The reason for this isthat the technology they use is much simpler — and therefore cheaper — and running costs are lower.

why

• No one knows why the dinosaurs died out so suddenly.

in order to

• Many criminals steal in order to get money to buy drugs. (=the reason they steal is so that they can buy drugs)

through

•The records were lost, either through carelessness or incompetence.

as a result of

• Sea levels are rising as a result of global warming.

due to / owing to

• The number of songbirds has declined. This is partly due to modern farming methods.

•Owing to lack of public interest, the programme was abandoned.

2. Words meaning reason

reason

• There were two main reasons for his success.
• The reasons why this happens are as follows.

explanation

•Scientists have offered several possible explanations for these results.

motive

• There may have been a political motive for the killing.

grounds

You use grounds especially when saying that it seems justified to think that something is true, or when an action is justified according to official rules:

• There are strong grounds for believing that what he says is true.

argument

• There are strong environmental arguments for limiting car use.

rationale

•All organisations need a rationale for dividing up their work.

justification

• The US government's main justification for the war was that they wanted to bring democracy to the country.

basis

• There is no scientific basis for such beliefs.

3. A reason that does not seem believable

pretext

• They used religion as a pretext for their activities.

excuse

• Poverty should not be seen as an excuse for crime.