Because vs. Because of – English Grammar Exercises for B1
You are discussing travel plans with your backpacking group. Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete each sentence.
1 “We should definitely book the downtown hostel ______ it is much cheaper than a hotel.”
(A) because of
(B) because
(C) due to
(D) owing to
2 “We cannot stay at the Grand Plaza Hotel ______ its extremely high prices.”
(A) because
(B) because of
(C) since
(D) as
3 “I prefer staying in hostels ______ we can cook our own meals in the shared kitchen.”
(A) because
(B) because of
(C) due to
(D) on account of
4 “We are saving a lot of money on this trip ______ the free daily breakfast.”
(A) because
(B) because of
(C) as
(D) since
5 “______ sharing a room with four other people, we will only pay $15 a night.”
(A) Because
(B) Because of
(C) Since
(D) As
6 “We should avoid taking taxis everywhere ______ they cost way too much.”
(A) because of
(B) because
(C) due to
(D) owing to
7 “______ our strict student budget, we need to be very careful with our daily spending.”
(A) Because
(B) Because of
(C) Since
(D) As
8 “Let’s walk to the city center instead of taking the bus ______ the beautiful weather.”
(A) because
(B) because of
(C) since
(D) as
9 “We have some extra money for street food ______ we chose a budget airline.”
(A) because
(B) because of
(C) due to
(D) owing to
10 “I really want to book this specific hostel ______ its amazing online reviews.”
(A) because
(B) because of
(C) since
(D) as
11 “The hostel is perfect for us ______ location right next to the main train station.”
(A) because its
(B) because of its
(C) because it
(D) because of it is
12 “We chose the 8-bed dorm room ______ to meet other international backpackers.”
(A) because of we want
(B) because we want
(C) because wanting
(D) because of we wanting
13 “I didn’t book the private double room ______ too expensive for our group.”
(A) because of it was
(B) because it was
(C) because of was
(D) because its
14 “______ limited budget, we should probably buy groceries instead of eating out.”
(A) Because our
(B) Because of our
(C) Because we are
(D) Because of we have
15 “We have to carry our heavy backpacks up the stairs ______ there is no elevator.”
(A) because
(B) because of
(C) due to
(D) owing to
16 “We were able to book the beds quickly ______ a special discount code I found online.”
(A) because
(B) because of
(C) since
(D) as
17 “The total cost of the accommodation was lower than expected ______ we split the bill four ways.”
(A) because of
(B) because
(C) due to
(D) owing to
18 “I usually like staying at family-run guesthouses ______ the friendly and helpful staff.”
(A) because
(B) because of
(C) as
(D) since
19 “We cannot afford to join the premium guided tour ______ a lack of funds.”
(A) because
(B) because of
(C) since
(D) as
20 “______ we are just backpackers, we need to prioritize exciting experiences over luxury beds.”
(A) Because of
(B) Because
(C) Due to
(D) Owing to
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) because
- Why it is correct (The Key): “It is much cheaper” is a full clause (Subject + Verb). Therefore, the conjunction because is required.
- Distractor Analysis: (A), (C), and (D) are prepositions that must be followed by a noun phrase, not a clause.
2 (B) because of
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Its extremely high prices” is a noun phrase. There is no verb here. Therefore, the preposition because of is required.
- Distractor Analysis: (A), (C), and (D) are conjunctions that require a full clause (Subject + Verb).
3 (A) because
- Why it is correct (The Key): “We can cook” is a full clause (Subject + Verb). -> because.
- Distractor Analysis: (B), (C), and (D) require a noun phrase.
4 (B) because of
- Why it is correct (The Key): “The free daily breakfast” is a noun phrase. -> because of.
- Distractor Analysis: (A), (C), and (D) require a full clause.
5 (B) Because of
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Sharing” is a gerund (V-ing), which acts as a noun. Because of can be followed by a V-ing phrase.
- Distractor Analysis: (A), (C), and (D) require a full clause with a subject.
6 (B) because
- Why it is correct (The Key): “They cost” is a full clause (Subject + Verb). -> because.
- Distractor Analysis: (A), (C), and (D) require a noun phrase.
7 (B) Because of
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Our strict student budget” is a noun phrase. -> because of.
- Distractor Analysis: (A), (C), and (D) require a full clause.
8 (B) because of
- Why it is correct (The Key): “The beautiful weather” is a noun phrase. -> because of.
- Distractor Analysis: (A), (C), and (D) require a full clause.
9 (A) because
- Why it is correct (The Key): “We chose” is a full clause. -> because.
- Distractor Analysis: (B), (C), and (D) require a noun phrase.
10 (B) because of
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Its amazing online reviews” is a noun phrase. -> because of.
- Distractor Analysis: (A), (C), and (D) require a full clause.
11 (B) because of its
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Location” is a noun. We need because of + a possessive adjective (its) to say “because of its location”.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Missing “of”. (C) Followed by a noun, not a clause. (D) “Because of” cannot be followed by a full clause (“it is”).
12 (B) because we want
- Why it is correct (The Key): “We want” is a full clause, so we use because.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) “Because of” cannot take a subject + verb. (C) Missing the subject. (D) Grammatically incorrect structure.
13 (B) because it was
- Why it is correct (The Key): “It was” is a full clause, so we use because.
- Distractor Analysis: (A) “Because of” cannot be followed by a full clause. (C) Missing the subject “it”. (D) “Its” is a possessive adjective, not a subject + verb.
14 (B) Because of our
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Limited budget” is a noun phrase. We need because of + possessive adjective (our).
- Distractor Analysis: (A) Missing “of”. (C) “We are limited budget” makes no logical sense. (D) “Because of” cannot take a clause (“we have”).
15 (A) because
- Why it is correct (The Key): “There is” is a full clause. -> because.
- Distractor Analysis: (B), (C), and (D) require a noun phrase.
16 (B) because of
- Why it is correct (The Key): “A special discount code” is a noun phrase. (The clause “I found online” is just a relative clause modifying the code). The main structure is because of + Noun.
- Distractor Analysis: (A), (C), and (D) require a full clause immediately following them.
17 (B) because
- Why it is correct (The Key): “We split” is a full clause. -> because.
- Distractor Analysis: (A), (C), and (D) require a noun phrase.
18 (B) because of
- Why it is correct (The Key): “The friendly and helpful staff” is a noun phrase. -> because of.
- Distractor Analysis: (A), (C), and (D) require a full clause.
19 (B) because of
- Why it is correct (The Key): “A lack of funds” is a noun phrase. -> because of.
- Distractor Analysis: (A), (C), and (D) require a full clause.
20 (B) Because
- Why it is correct (The Key): “We are” is a full clause. -> Because.
- Distractor Analysis: (A), (C), and (D) require a noun phrase.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
1 The Golden Rule: Clause vs. Noun Phrase
When explaining your reasons (especially when trying to convince your friends to save money!), you can use either Because or Because of. The meaning is exactly the same, but the grammar structure following them is entirely different.
- Because + Clause (Subject + Verb):
- Example: We chose the hostel because it is cheap.
- Because of + Noun Phrase / Pronoun / V-ing:
- Example: We chose the hostel because of its low price.
2 Why Learn Both? (Syntactic Flexibility)
At the B1 level, knowing how to transform a sentence from a Clause to a Noun Phrase is a highly valuable skill. It makes your arguments sound more formal, concise, and persuasive.
- Clause: We couldn’t go on the tour because it rained.
- Noun Phrase: We couldn’t go on the tour because of the rain.
3 Common Pitfalls to Avoid
A very common mistake for English learners is mixing up the structures.
- Trap 1 (Using “of” with a clause): “We are saving money because of we cook.” → Incorrect. (Remove “of” or change to “because of our cooking”).
- Trap 2 (Dropping “of” before a noun): “We chose this place because its location.” → Incorrect. (Add “of”: because of its location).
4 Synonyms for B1/B2 Vocabulary Expansion
If you want to stop repeating “because”, you can use these alternatives:
- Instead of Because → Use Since or As. (Since we are on a budget…)
- Instead of Because of → Use Due to or Owing to. (Due to the high prices…)