Structure: ‘Due to vs because’

Due to or because? Two ways to give a reason

When Air India announced that it would cancel 22% of its domestic flights for June and July, the coverage was full of reasons — soaring jet-fuel prices, a conflict near the Strait of Hormuz, and costs the carriers simply could not absorb. In English, the words you choose to introduce a reason depend on what comes next.

Because introduces a full clause (a subject and a verb). Because of and due to introduce a noun phrase, which has no verb of its own. The meaning is the same; the grammar is not.

The difference in one line

A common trap

Watch the words after the linker, not the meaning. If you can see a subject and a verb, use because; if you only have a noun (often with adjectives stacked in front), use because of or the slightly more formal due to. At the start of a sentence, Owing to and Due to sound the most formal of all: Owing to the partial closure of the strait, fuel prices climbed across Asia.

Try these

Fill each gap with because or because of / due to. The words straight after the gap tell you which one fits.

1. Air India trimmed its June schedule ______ the sharp rise in jet-fuel prices.
2. Several domestic routes became unviable ______ fuel now accounts for about 40% of operating costs.
3. ______ the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz, prices climbed right across Asia.
4. Ryanair lost an extra $50 million in April ______ the conflict had pushed costs higher.
5. Passengers were rebooked or refunded ______ the cancelled sectors.
6. Several carriers applied for fuel surcharges ______ they cannot absorb the higher prices indefinitely.
7. The DGCA has delayed its ruling ______ the unusual volatility in the market.
8. IndiGo also trimmed capacity ______ demand on some sectors had fallen.

For more reason-and-result language in context, see how carriers explained their decision to cut transatlantic services because of a sharp slump in demand.