9.4 Cause, reason and consequence

We typically express cause or reason with because, e.g.:

We stayed at home because it was raining. (Ens vam quedar a casa perquè plovia.)

Because the first train was late, we missed the connection. (El primer tren arribava amb retard, i per tant vam perdre la correspondència.)

We can also use since and as, most usually when the information is not new, e.g.:

The weather was terrible. Since/As the weather was so bad, we decided to stay at home. (El temps era horrible. Atès que feia mal temps, vam decidir quedar-nos a casa.)

We can also express cause or reason with the prepositions because of, due to and owing to, e.g.:

We stayed at home because of the rain. (Ens vam quedar a casa per la pluja.)

The newspaper claims that the accident was due to human error. (El diari sosté que l'accident va ser degut a un error humà.)

Owing to shortage of supplies, production is delayed. (A causa de la falta de subministrament, la producció va amb retard.)

Notice that we do not usually express cause or reason with for, but for is used for criminal activities, etc., e.g.:

Jones was sent to prison for theft/shoplifting. (Van condemnar en Jones a presó per robatori/robatori de botigues.)

The girls were punished for copying in the exam. (Les noies van ser castigades per copiar durant l'examen.)

We typically express consequence with so, e.g.:

It was raining so we stayed at home. (Plovia i per tant ens vam quedar a casa.)

There was a bus strike so a lot of people had to walk to work. (Hi va haver una vaga d'autobusos i per tant molta gent havia d'anar a la feina caminant.)

More formally we can express consequence with a new sentence that begins with consequently or therefore, e.g.:

Many of the reports have been critical. Consequently/Therefore it has been decided ... (Molts informes han estat crítics. Com a conseqüència, s'ha decidit...)

Compare purpose clauses.

	For for and since, see also Ago, since, for and during. See also Subordinate clauses.