Academic writing - Useful structures: Expressing Cause.
Problem: Students use "due to" + subject + verb.
> Due to he is the managing director, he controls the company's purchases. (X)
Note: The subject of a sentence ("he") can't follow a preposition ("to").
Remedy: Use "due to the fact that" + subject + verb.
> Due to the fact that he is the managing director, he controls the company's purchases.
Or, use due to+ gerund. ("-ing" form)
> Due to being the managing director, he controls the company's purchases.
Correct the following two sentences in both the above ways:
> Due to they were making continual losses, the company went bankrupt.
Please write your answers here:[ANSWER] [ANSWER]
> Due to the company went bankrupt, the shareholders lost their investment. [ANSWER] [ANSWER]
Scroll down the page for the answers.
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Answers:
> Due to the fact that they were making continual losses, the company went bankrupt.
Or
> Due to making continual losses, the company went bankrupt.
And
> Due to the fact that the company went bankrupt, the shareholders lost all their money.
Or
> Due to the company going bankrupt, the shareholders lost all their money.
Did you have trouble using the gerund in the second example above? Note that the gerund can be paired with a different noun to the subject in the second part of the sentence. Put that noun in front of the gerund. Look at these two examples:
> Due to being rich, he didn't have to work. (Who was rich?)
> Due to his father being rich, he didn't have to work. (Who was rich?)
Notes:
i) "On account of" is used in the same way:
> On account of they use a good advertising agency, the firm's sales have risen. (X) (Correct it using the gerund) [ANSWER]
ii) "Because of" is also used in the same way:
> Because of good quality wood is used in their furniture, it tends to be expensive. (X) (Correct it using the gerund) [ANSWER]
iii) Remove one word from the following sentence to make it correct:
Because of people have lost money, the company has many creditors. [ANSWER]
Scroll down the page for the answers.
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> On account of using a good advertising agency, the firm's sales have risen.
> Because of good quality wood being used in their furniture, it tends to be expensive.
Did you have trouble? With verbs in the passive voice, just put the verb "to be" in the gerund form.
> Because people have lost money, the company has many creditors.
Note: The subject of a sentence ("people") can't follow a preposition ("of).
Photo album:
Photo: Stone in the wall at the entrance to the old city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, Eastern Europe. People try to stand on top of the head, which is harder than it looks!
Reminder: These sentences describe what you can see in the picture a bit further down the page. Note the linking structures in blue, which are discussed on other pages on this site.
He took his shoes off, so that he could get a better grip on the smooth stone. (linking structure)
He took his shoes off in order to get a better grip on the smooth stone. (infinitive of purpose)
He took his shoes off, enabling him to get a better grip on the smooth stone. (enable + infinitive)
Vocabulary:
grip - "fixed hold", used for hands, feet, shoes, etc. Example: These old shoes have no grip.
.........and to prove you're a "real man", you have to take your shirt off and throw it on the ground!
Do you get it?
.
.
Vocabulary:
duck's bill - see the duck in the picture. It's the yellow bit!
nail - (verb and noun) - small, pointed piece of metal used to fix pieces of wood, hang up pictures, etc.
(stick of) lipstick - see the picture on the right.
A duck goes into a bar and says, "Have you got any bread?"
"No," says the barman, so the ducks walks out.
The next day in comes the duck again and says, "Have you got any bread?"
"No," says the barman again, "we only sell beer", so the duck walks out.
The next day the duck walks in yet again, and asks "Have you got any bread?"
"Listen," says the barman, "This is a public house. We serve ales and spirits, wines and light snacks. Now, if you come in here one more time asking for bread, I'm going to nail your bill to the bar." So the duck walks out.
To the barman's amazement, the next day he comes in again, and says, "Have you got any nails?"
"No," says the barman.
"Have you got any bread?"
And how about this?
A duck goes into a chemist's shop and asks for a stick of lipstick.
"Certainly, Madam," says the chemist.
"Would you like to pay for it now?"
"No," says the duck, "just put it on my bill."
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