reason... is because

reason... is because
   is a common construction, and has been for at least two hundred years, but it continues to be criticized as a tautology by many authorities. Consider an example from the Observer: "The reason she spends less and less time in England these days is because her business interests keep her constantly on the move." Those authorities who object to such constructions (and not all do) maintain that the sentence would be better with because deleted or replaced with that. They are right about the tautology but, I would submit, wrong (or at least somewhat off beam) about the remedy. The fault in such sentences lies at the front end. Remove the reason and its attendant verb is and in most cases a crisper, more focused sentence emerges: "She spends less and less time in England these days because her business interests keep her constantly on the move."

Dictionary of troublesome word. . 2013.

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  • reason is because — See because …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • because — 1. because, as, since, for. Because is a conjunction that normally introduces a dependent clause and answers the question ‘why?’ (or, sometimes, ‘how?’). It can relate directly to the statement made, as in I came because I wanted to see you,… …   Modern English usage

  • reason — [rē′zən] n. [ME reisun < OFr < L ratio, a reckoning, reason: see READ1] 1. an explanation or justification of an act, idea, etc. 2. a cause or motive 3. the ability to think, form judgments, draw conclusions, etc. 4. sound thought or… …   English World dictionary

  • reason — reasoner, n. /ree zeuhn/, n. 1. a basis or cause, as for some belief, action, fact, event, etc.: the reason for declaring war. 2. a statement presented in justification or explanation of a belief or action. 3. the mental powers concerned with… …   Universalium

  • reason — 1. noun 1) the main reason for his decision Syn: cause, ground(s), basis, rationale; motive, motivation, purpose, point, aim, intention, objective, goal; explanation, justification, argument, defense, vindication …   Thesaurus of popular words

  • because of — ON ACCOUNT OF, as a result of, as a consequence of, owing to, due to; thanks to, by/in virtue of; formal by reason of. → because * * * preposition : by reason of : on account of …   Useful english dictionary

  • reason — rea•son [[t]ˈri zən[/t]] n. 1) a basis or cause, as for some belief, action, fact, or event 2) a statement presented in justification or explanation of a belief or action 3) the mental powers concerned with forming conclusions, judgments, or… …   From formal English to slang

  • because — This conjunction is definite and specific in its meaning of since or for the reason that. It is used solely to express cause or reason: He left the party early because he was tired. As a subordinating conjunction, because should not be used to… …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • because — conjunction for the reason that; since. Phrases because of by reason of. Origin ME: from the phr. by cause, influenced by OFr. par cause de by reason of . Usage When because follows a negative construction the meaning can be ambiguous. In the… …   English new terms dictionary

  • reason — {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun 1 cause/motive/justification; explanation of sth ADJECTIVE ▪ cogent, good, sound, strong ▪ compelling, convincing ▪ plausible …   Collocations dictionary

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