原文 2011/07/05，修改 2013/10/10

國慶日前一晚的文法課，重點之一是以不同的字眼連結「原因」和「結果」。

例句

原因：The weather has been bad.

結果：The picnic is canceled.

幾種合併的方法

(1) 用從屬連接詞 because：

        The picnic is canceled because the weather has been bad.

        Because the weather has been bad, the picnic is canceled.

(2) 用介係詞片語 because of, due to, on account of 等等：

        The picnic is canceled because of bad weather.

        Because of bad weather, the picnic is canceled.

(3) 用對等連接詞 so：

        The weather has been bad, so the picnic is canceled.

(4) 用連接副詞 therefore, thus, consequently 等等：

        The weather has been bad. Therefore, the picnic is canceled.

        The weather has been bad; therefore, the picnic is canceled.

        The weather has been bad. The picnic, therefore, is canceled.

        The weather has been bad. The picnic is canceled, therefore.

(5) 用成對連接詞 so…that, such…that：

        The weather has been so bad that the picnic is canceled.

        It has been such bad weather that the picnic is canceled.

以上句子只是表達了各種可能的連接方式，實際使用上要配合內容和場合。

(6) 連接副詞通常配合正式的場合、較嚴肅的內容。

        Jewish weddings are both religious and civil. Therefore, two official applications for marriage are necessary.

因為詞性的不同，because 接的是「子句」，也就是有主詞和動詞的結構，because of 接的是「名詞」，或是以名詞為核心的字群。

(7) We went swimming because the weather was hot.（子句的主詞 weather，動詞 was）

(8) We went swimming because of the hot weather.（以名詞 weather 為核心，加上限定詞 the 和形容詞 hot）

如果為了遷就詞性，把子句改成了「動名詞字群」，造出來的句子可能有兩個修辭上的毛病：

(9) We went swimming because of the weather being hot.（2011/07/05回答的題目）

        毛病一，為了寫成名詞格式，把子句原本的動詞改成 being，反而成了沒有內涵的贅字；

        毛病二，不自然。原來的兩個子句並沒有重複的字眼，如果硬是把 because of 套在需要有主詞、動詞才方便清楚交代的內容上，反而彆扭。