JUSTIFYING: GIVING REASONS

When we give reasons for an action, what we are doing is justifying this action, or better said, explaining the motive behind an action or event. We use reasoning to extend speech and also to maintain conversations. There are various ways to do this:

How to learn: The important thing to remember is that context is essential and you must write sentences in your own words to help remember language usage.

 

Connectors: see our post on FIXED PHRASES: TIME, PURPOSE, REASON AND RESULT

Because/as/since

I am working in a factory this summer because I want to save up some cash.

I am learning German as I think it will be useful for my future career.

I am taking a break since I haven´t stopped all day.

 

Because of/due to/owing to/on account of + (noun or …ing):

I am not going to the concert because of the cost.

I am working overtime due to not having finished my quota for the month.

He is off work today owing to his illness.

The race was cancelled on account of the snow.

 

So/therefore/thus/hence:

I lost the match so I went to the pub to drown my sorrows.

I have failed the exam four times; therefore I will change my major.

 

Cleft sentences:

For more information on cleft sentences, see HERE

The first reason is/was…

The second reason is/was…

The main reason is/was…

The final reason is/was…

 

Useful adjectives:

Essential – crucial

I am learning English as it is essential for my degree.

Worthwhile – valuable

They carried out the experiment as it was a worthwhile project.

Justified – excusable

I went ahead with the plan as the cost was well justified.

Pointless – useless

It is pointless to carry on so we should give up.

Feasible – possible

It isn´t feasible to carry on.

Inevitable – certain

The outcome was inevitable so we gave up.

 

Key phrases: see110 EXPRESSIONS FOR KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS

There is no point in – be of no use

There was no point in doing that course; it was useless.

Make sense – be logical

I won´t do it that way as it doesn´t make sense.

Make no difference – serve for nothing

It makes no difference how you do it, it won´t work.

Be out of the question – not be an option

Redoing the project it out of the question; there is no time for that.

Be a matter of – be a question of

It is only a matter of time before he finds out what you did.

Have no option, but (infinitive) – have no choice

They had no option, but to look for an alternative route.

The be all and end all – be of importance

Going to university is not the be all and end all.

Be a waste of time – be a misuse of time

That course was a complete waste of time; hence I will not do another one in the same place.

 

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