Why because grammar

Wodehouse, "Leave It To Jeeves," I could like doing this show. I get to do live sketches in front of a live audience. In sum, "the reason is because" has been attested in literary use for centuries. If you aren't comfortable using the phrase, or feel that it's awkward, don't use it. But maybe lay off the criticism of others—there's really no argument against it.

The phrase may grate on your nerves along with "the reason why is because" , but it puts people who apply it in some very distinguished literary company. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Log in Sign Up. More Words At Play. Merriam-Webster's Words of the Week - Oct. Time Traveler. 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! Stewart says:. November 21, at pm. Edly says:. November 23, at pm. November 24, at am. Weekly Web Harvest weekly Bionic Teaching says:. November 24, at pm. Because grammar ProTips says:. November 25, at am. November 26, at pm. November 28, at am. November 29, at pm. Katie Wellman says:. Anna says:. November 30, at pm. Frez says:. December 1, at am. December 1, at pm.

Gary McGath says:. Susannah Ailene Martin says:. Lesa says:. December 2, at am. Meisha says:. December 2, at pm. January 1, at pm.

December 3, at am. Michelle Joelle says:. December 3, at pm. December 4, at am. December 5, at am. December 5, at pm. December 9, at am. December 10, at pm. Beyond Idioms Soliloquies says:. Jobel says:.

December 11, at am. Freelance Writing Podcast: Measuring the effectiveness of your content says:. December 12, at am. Podcast: Measuring the effectiveness of your content writing That Wordy Bird says:. December 12, at pm. Richmond says:. December 13, at am. M says:. December 18, at pm. December 19, at pm. December 26, at am. December 27, at am. Such win Sentence first says:. January 4, at pm.

January 13, at am. January 14, at am. January 15, at am. On privilege-checking and amazey amazeballs Sentence first says:. January 16, at pm. January 18, at pm. January 31, at am. In defence of new words Sentence first says:. February 6, at pm. February 18, at pm. February 27, at am.

March 15, at am. April 2, at pm. July 14, at am. The Evolution of Internet Speak Mashable says:. September 25, at pm. Interview with Stan Carey - Grammarist says:.

October 18, at pm. Because Science! Eleven million miles a minute says:. October 25, at pm. Links round-up: 22 November London Strategy Unit says:.

November 25, at pm. December 21, at pm. December 22, at pm. December 29, at pm. The Owl Underground says:. February 1, at am. To blog or not to blog voidnullspace says:. December 16, at pm. New slang and old prescriptions Sentence first says:. January 11, at pm. Innovating because innovation Corpus linguistics says:. April 22, at pm. April 27, at am.

September 6, at am. Second post: a week in review — Cognitive Rhetorics says:. September 15, at pm. Reading Response Reading 2 — Site Title says:. April 7, at pm. Are you feeling unwell because you ate too much?

Not: Are you feeling unwell since you ate too much? Outsets and onsets! As , because or since? Are you angry with me because I opened the letter? Bilardo coaches his team by telephone, Bilardo was the coach of the Argentinian football team since half of them play in Italy, France or Spain.

See also: Because , because of and cos , cos of. As and since. See also: Conjunctions. Popular searches 01 Collocation 02 Comparison: adjectives bigger , biggest , more interesting 03 Future: will and shall 04 Say or tell? Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes.

Image credits. Word of the Day have a heart of gold. Blog Outsets and onsets! Read More. November 08, To top. Adjectives and adverbs Easily confused words Nouns, pronouns and determiners Prepositions and particles Using English Verbs Words, sentences and clauses.

Sign up for free and get access to exclusive content:. Free word lists and quizzes from Cambridge. Tools to create your own word lists and quizzes. Word lists shared by our community of dictionary fans. Sign up now or Log in. Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English.

Click on the arrows to change the translation direction. Follow us. Choose a dictionary. Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English. Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English. Grammar Thesaurus.

Word Lists. Choose your language. Adjectives Adjectives: forms Adjectives: order Adjective phrases: functions Adjective phrases: position Adjectives and adjective phrases: typical errors. Comparison: adjectives bigger , biggest , more interesting Comparison: clauses bigger than we had imagined Comparison: comparisons of equality as tall as his father As … as. Adverbs Adverb phrases Adverbs and adverb phrases: position Adverbs and adverb phrases: typical errors Adverbs: forms Adverbs: functions Adverbs: types Comparison: adverbs worse, more easily Fairly Intensifiers very, at all Largely Much , a lot , lots , a good deal : adverbs Pretty Quite Rather Really Scarcely Very.

Above or over? Across , over or through? Advice or advise? Affect or effect? All or every? All or whole? Allow , permit or let? Almost or nearly? Alone , lonely , or lonesome? Along or alongside? Already , still or yet? Also , as well or too? Alternate ly , alternative ly Although or though?

Altogether or all together? Amount of , number of or quantity of? Any more or anymore? Anyone , anybody or anything?