Reason why grammatically correct

Been or gone? Begin or start? Beside or besides? Between or among? Born or borne? Bring , take and fetch Can , could or may? Classic or classical?

Come or go? Consider or regard? Consist , comprise or compose? Content or contents? Different from , different to or different than? Do or make? Down , downwards or downward? During or for? Each or every? East or eastern ; north or northern? Economic or economical? Efficient or effective? Elder , eldest or older , oldest?

End or finish? Especially or specially? Except or except for? Expect , hope or wait? Experience or experiment? Fall or fall down? Far or a long way?

Farther , farthest or further , furthest? Fast , quick or quickly? Fell or felt? Female or feminine ; male or masculine? Finally , at last , lastly or in the end? First , firstly or at first? Fit or suit? Following or the following? For or since? Forget or leave? Full or filled?

Fun or funny? Get or go? Grateful or thankful? Hear or listen to? High or tall? Historic or historical? House or home? How is …? If or when? If or whether? Ill or sick? Imply or infer? In the way or on the way? Late or lately? Lay or lie? Lend or borrow? Less or fewer? Look at , see or watch? Low or short? Man , mankind or people?

Maybe or may be? Maybe or perhaps? Nearest or next? Never or not … ever? Nice or sympathetic? No doubt or without doubt? No or not? Nowadays , these days or today? Article Topics: Grammar, Language, Usage. Sign up for email. Erin Brenner is the founder of Right Touch Editing , a customizable editing service. She has been an editing professional for over 15 years and is sought after for her expertise in language mechanics.

She works on a variety of media in all levels of editing. In addition, she provides bite-sized lessons to improve your writing on her blog The Writing Resource and is the editor of Copyediting. Follow her on Twitter at ebrenner or on Facebook. Click here to read more articles by Erin Brenner. I prefer, "they got married because they love each other".

This was not a listed choice, but clearly conveys idea intended in direct, succinct statement. Tell me what objections arise. Monday June 30th , AM. The discussion proves once again that grammar is more about arbitrary rules than it is about logic. I see no reason for debating the reason for reasoning reason.

It reminds me of the story about a train wreck. The forman of the clean up crew sent a three page dissertation to his supervisor, describing the process from beginning to end. His supervisor sent him a terse reprimand for being long winded. The next report was short, concise, and to the point. Off again, on again, gone agin. I'm with jphmedisys and Kenneth P. This entire discussion focuses on a topic more easily solved with a good sentence restructure, and emphasis added by using words such as "additionally" and "moreover".

Without any reference to these options, the entire article stretches the cover for woefully redundant speech. Three cheers for Dr. Hagler and his fellow travelers. I routinely ask my high school students to avoid constructions that can be restated in fewer words, often achieving greater clarity in the bargain.

Clauses and phrases clarify or obfuscate. The litmus test is "What meaning do I want reader to grasp? The rules merely describe the job being done. Grammar is carpentry--beautiful cabinetry and strong joists take skill and care. So it is with conveying meaning. Is a piece of writing plumb?

Monday June 30th , PM. I think the sentence, "Even among usage writers who limit why's definition, though, many who accept this slight redundancy as idiomatic" could lose the second "who" and would thereby become even clearer. Rachael, your metaphor is excellent! Thank you! I do as much wood working as word working, and I'm chagrined that I never connected the two, but I can see that it's not surprising that I enjoy both crafts, as they use corresponding principles, skills, materials and even tools.

I will copy your comment and save it in my "writing" file! I have noticed many similarities between visual art and writing for example, the principles of design apply to both , but I hadn't really included carpentry among the visual arts.

But some of the best carpentry is inspired and created to perform a function, and ends up succeeding as 3-D sculpture as well.

The Happy Quibbler. Wednesday July 2nd , AM. More than a comment i would like to ask a question. I have been teaching British English to Catalan and Spanish speakers for years. English is not my mothertongue. The fact is because does not always mean "for the reason that. Clearly, the many writers who have used and who continue to use this phrase do not feel it to be redundant—and we agree, especially since it appears in the letters and formal prose of many literary writers, among them, Francis Bacon, Jonathan Swift, John Adams, Robert Frost, Ernest Hemingway, and E.

The Reason was, because the Religion of the Heathen, consisted rather in Rites and Ceremonies, than in any constant belief. The reason I tell you so is, because it was done by your parson…. The reason is because it is of more importance If the fellow who wrote it seems to know more of my goings and comings than he could without complicity of mine, the reason is because he is a lovely old boy and quite took possession of me while I was in Boston.

The reason every one now tries to avoid it, to deny that it is important, to make it seem vain to try to do it, is because it is so difficult. The reason the story has never been made into a film is because I won't sign a contract…. White, letter, 28 Oct. You may have noticed that in the more modern examples, reason is separated from the because clause by intervening matter, sometimes quite long.

In the older examples reason is more frequently found right next to because. It seems the separation is done to improve readability; because , in its position later in the sentence, becomes a signal word to the reader telling him or her that what follows is the "reason" mentioned previously.

The second argument against "the reason is because" tries to attack the grammatical soundness of the phrase, claiming that "the reason is" requires a descriptive clause beginning with that because of the linking verb be —which, grammatically, connects a subject to the description following. Using our ongoing ice-cream example, "The reason I ordered vanilla is that I like it," "that I like it" is the descriptive relative clause.

However, since because shares the same meaning as conjunctive that "The reason I ordered vanilla is because I like it" is also acceptable, if that's your preference. Sentences of the form "If you're tired, it's because you stayed up all night playing video games again" are certainly recognizable as standard English.