因果関係 - Cause and Effect
自分の日記が【BECAUSE】だらけで嫌になった事があります。でも、実は色々な言い回しがあるのです。
下記の例文ははニュアンスに若干違いがありますが、内容は同じです。
接続詞
因果関係を表す接続詞は、【SO】【FOR】 です。【SO】は結果を導き【FOR】は理由を導きます。
It was rain, so I did not go.
I did not go, for it was rain.
接続副詞
THEREFORE, HENCEなど接続副詞は因果関係を表します。句読点の使い方に注意しましょう。
It was rain. Therefore, I did not go.
It was rain; hence, I did not go.
THEREFORE はformal な言葉ですが、Hence はさらにもっと畏まった表現です。
Consequently, For this(that) reason, As a result なども結果を表す時に良く使われる表現です。
It was rain. Consequently, I did not go.
It was rain. For this reason, I did not go.
It was rain. As a result, I did not go.
副詞節
お馴染みのBECAUSEの他に、SICNE, AS, SO THAT が副詞節を導きます。BECAUSE, SINCE, AS節 は、理由を表しますが、SO THAT 節は、結果を表します。
Because it was rain, I did not go.
I did not go because it was rain.
I did not go since it was rain.
I did not go, as it was rain.
It was rain so that I did not go.
NOW THAT, SO…THAT/SUCH…THAT
これらも、因果関係を表現できます。 THATは会話文では省略される事が多いです。
It rained so much (that) I did not go.
It was such terrible weather (that) I did not go.
Now (that) it is rain, I don't want to go.
それぞれのニュアンスの違いは、副詞節：因果関係を参考にして下さい。
副詞句(分詞構文）
主節と副詞節の主語が同じ時には副詞句化できます。
Because I was sick, I did not go.
→ Being sick, I did not go.
詳しくは副詞句（分詞構文）をご覧下さい。
前置詞
BECAUSEは副詞節だけでなく、BECAUSE OFの形で前置詞句を導入することができます。他にDUE TO やON ACCOUNT OF があります。
Because of the rain, I did not go.
Due to the rain, I did not go.
I did not go on account of the rain.
BECAUSE OF に比べて、DUE TO の方が畏まった表現です。ON ACCOUNT OF は問題や困難などの理由の時に使う傾向があります。
