Reason clauses

8.49 When you want to indicate the reason for something, you use a reason clause.

Here is a list of the main conjunctions used in reason clauses:

as

because

in case

just in case

since

8.50 If you are simply indicating the reason for something, you use 'because', 'since', or 'as'.

I couldn't feel anger against him because I liked him too much.

I didn't know that she had been married, since she seldom talked about herself.

As Celia had gone to school, it seemed a good time for Lady Ravenscroft to invite her sister to stay.

8.51 You use 'in case' of 'just in case' when you are mentioning a possible future situation which is someone's reason for doing something. In the reason clause you use the simple present tense.

Mr Woods, I am here just in case anything out of the ordinary happens.

When you are talking about someone's reason for doing something in the past, you use the simple past tense in the reason clause.

Sam had consented to take an overcoat in case the wind rose.

8.52 'In that', 'inasmuch as', 'insofar as', 'and 'to the extent that' are used to say why a statement you have just made is true. These are formal expressions.

I'm in a difficult situation in that I have been offered two jobs and they both sound interesting.

Censorship is feeble inasmuch as it does not protect anyone.

We are traditional insofar as we do traditional sketches, but we try and do them about original ideas.

He feels himself to be dependent to the extent that he is not free to question decisions affecting his daily life.

8.53 People sometimes use reason clauses beginning with 'for' or 'seeing that'. 'For' means the same as 'because'. Its use in reason clauses is now considered to be old-fashioned.

We never see Henry these days, for Henry has grown fat and lazy.

'Seeing that' means the same as 'since'. It is used only in informal speech.

Seeing that you're the guest on this little trip, I won't tell you what I think of your behaviour last night.

'Now' and 'now that' are used to say that a new situation is the reason for something. Clauses beginning with 'now' or 'now that' are dealt with as time clauses. They are explained in paragraph 8.18.

Result clauses

8.54 When you want to indicate the result of something, you use a result clause. Result clauses always come after the main clause.

8.55 Result clauses usually begin with 'so that'.

You can use 'so that' simply to say what the result of an event or situation was.

My suitcase had become damaged on the journey home, so that the lid would not stay closed.

A great storm had brought the sea right into the house, so that they had been forced to make their escape by a window at the back.

Many wives shoulder the prime responsibility for running the home, so that in most families the loss of the wife is more devastating than the loss of the husband.

'So', 'and so', and 'and' can also be used.

The young do not have the money to save and the old are consuming their savings, so it is mainly the middle-aged who are saving.

She was having a great difficulty getting her car out, and so I had to move my car to let her out.

Her boy friend was shot in the chest and died.

With these result clauses, you usually put a comma after the main clause.

8.56 You can also use 'so that' to say that something is or was done in a particular way to achieve a desired result.

For example, 'He fixed the bell so that it would ring when anyone came in' means 'He fixed the bell in such a way that it would ring when anyone came in'.

Explain it so that a 10-year-old could understand it.

They arranged things so that they never met.

With these result clauses, you do not put a comma after the main clause.

8.57 'So that' is also used in finite purpose clauses. This use is explained in paragraph 8.47.

8.58 'So' and 'that' are also used in a special kind of structure to say that a result happens because something has a quality to a particular extent, or because something is done in an extreme way.

In these structures, 'so' is used as a modifier in front of an adjective or adverb. A 'that'-clause is then added as a qualifier. Modifiers and qualifiers are explained in Chapter 2. See paragraph 2.309 for similar structures to the one described in this paragraph.

The crowd was so large that it overflowed the auditorium.

They were so surprised they didn't try to stop him.

He dressed so quickly that he put his boots on the wrong feet.

She had fallen down so often that she was covered in mud.

Sometimes 'as' is used instead of 'that'. 'As' is followed by a 'to'-infinitive clause.

...small beaches of sand so white as to dazzle the eye.

I hope that nobody was so stupid as to go around saying those things.

8.59 'So' and 'that' can also be used in this way with 'many', 'few', 'much', and 'little'.

We found so much to talk about that it was late at night when we remembered the time.

There were so many children you could hardly squeeze in the room.

USAGE NOTE 8.60 When the verb in the main clause is 'be' or when an auxiliary is used, the normal order of words is often changed for greater emphasis. 'So' is put at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the adjective, adverb, or noun group. 'Be' or the auxiliary is placed in front of the subject.

For example, instead of saying 'The room was so tiny that you could not get a bed into it', you can say 'So tiny was the room that you could not get a bed into it'.

So successful have they been that they are moving to Bond Street.

So rapid is the rate of progress that advance seems to be following advance on almost a monthly basis.

8.61 'Such' and 'that' are also used to say that a result happens because something has a quality to a particular extent. You put 'such' in front of a noun group, and then add a 'that'-clause.

If the noun in the noun group is a singular count noun, you put 'a' or 'an' in front of it.

I slapped her hand and she got such a shock that she dropped the bag.

If you tell them I'm prepared to give evidence they'll get such a scare they'll drop the whole thing.

They obeyed him with such willingness that the strike went on for over a year.

These birds have such small wings that they cannot get into the air even if they try.

8.62 'Such' can be used in a similar structure as an adjective with the meaning 'so great'. The 'that'-clause goes immediately after it.

The extent of the disaster was such that the local authorities were quite unable to cope.

Sometimes 'such' is put at the beginning of a sentence, followed by 'be', a noun group, and the 'that'-clause. For example, instead of saying 'Her beauty was such that they could only stare', you can say 'Such was her beauty that they could only stare'.

Such is the power of suggestion that within a very few minutes she fell asleep.

8.63 You can also use 'such' as an adjective to say that a result is obtained by something being of a particular kind. 'Such' is followed by a 'that'-clause or by 'as' and a 'to'-infinitive clause.

The machine's design should be such that its internal parts could be employed in a variety of ways.

The improvements to our defence had been such as to put invasion right out of the question.

You can use the expression 'in such a way' to say that a result is obtained by something being done in a particularly way. It is followed by a 'that'-clause or by 'as' and a 'to'-infinitive clause.

She had been taught to behave in such a way that her parents would have as quiet a life as possible.

Is it right that this high tax should be spent in such a way as to give benefit mainly to the motorist?

8.64 You use 'otherwise', 'else', or 'or else' to say that a result of something not happening or not being the case would be that something else would happen or be the case.

For example, 'Give me back my money, otherwise I'll ring the police' means 'If you don't give me back my money, I'll ring the police'.

I'm not used to living on my own so I want a house I like, otherwise I'll get depressed.

I must have done something wrong, or else they wouldn't have kept me here.