Because of / By
Indicating cause versus method
Cause vs. Method
| BECAUSE / BECAUSE OF | |
|---|---|
Because of and because introduce a cause or reason for a particular situation. Because of is followed by a noun phrase and because is followed by a clause. |
|
| SITUATION | CAUSE |
Demonstrators protested |
because of their dissatisfaction. |
Demonstrations arose/ occurred/ happened |
because of dissatisfaction. |
The government responded |
because of the work stoppage in the city. |
Protestors created banners in English |
because of the international news cameras. |
World leaders are speaking out |
because they see potential problems. |
Students coordinated plans quickly |
because of text messaging. |
Change resulted² |
because of the "grass roots" movement. |
| BY / WITH | |
|---|---|
By and with introduce a means or method for a particular action that someone takes or something does. With → noun phrase (means) By → gerund clause (method) |
|
| TAKE ACTION | MEANS & METHOD |
Demonstrators protested
|
with a march in Tahrir Square. |
Demonstrations arose¹ / occurred¹ / happened¹. |
— |
The government responded
|
with an announcement of elections |
Protestors created banners signs |
with large sheets. |
World leaders are speaking out |
with appearances on television. |
Students coordinated plans quickly |
with text messaging. |
Change resulted |
with the formation of a council. |
"grass roots" movement – action taken from the bottom up rather than from the top (leadership) down
¹These verbs are intransitive and are not used with objects (receivers) , cannot form passive, do not take a by-clause (agent) . See Transitive / Intransitive Never Passive
²See result in / result from
Related pages By + Gerund (means) Because / of
Because of / By
Cause vs. Agent
Cause vs. Agent
| BECAUSE / BECAUSE OF | |
|---|---|
After a passive verb, because or because of introduces a cause of an action or a reason for the action. Because of → noun phrase ; Because → clause. |
|
| SITUATION | CAUSE |
People were hurt because of |
the violence. |
Protestors were stopped because of |
the tanks. |
The protestors were stopped because |
the tanks blocked them. |
Some protestors were injured because of |
conflicts on the street. |
Neighboring countries were worried because of |
the unrest. |
| BY + AGENT | |
|---|---|
After a passive verb, by introduces the agent of the action. The agent is often a person or persons, but the agent may also be inanimate. |
|
| SITUATION | AGENT |
People were hurt |
by violent protestors. |
Protestors were stopped |
by military tanks. |
The protestors were stopped |
by the military. |
Some protestors were injured |
by other protestors. |
Neighboring countries were worried
|
by rumors about the unrest. |
clash – fights, conflicts, disagreements
unrest – restless, troubled; disturbance
Also see By Phrases.
Because / Because of Grammar Notes
Common Mistakes
Errors and Solutions
| ERROR |
|---|
*The floods resulted by the rising sea water. |
*The president resigned from office by the citizens' protest.
|
| SOLUTION |
|---|
The floods resulted from the rising sea water. phrasal verb |
The president resigned from office by announcing… means & method |
Pop-q – "by-because"
Practice 1
Cause vs. Means and Method
Complete the sentence.
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button.
Practice 2
Cause vs. Agent of the Action
Cyclone Yasi, about the size of Italy and carrying winds of up to around 300 km
per hour, threatened Australia with its second major natural disaster in two months.
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button.