以来と理由の違い（表付き）

It is so likely that many of us will commit grammatical errors when using the words ‘since’ and ‘because.’ While the two words may seem to be synonyms to each other, there are significant differences between them.

Notably, the use of either of the words in a given statement communicate two different things in most scenarios.

Since vs Because

の difference between Since and Because is that the word “Since” means to refer a time from the past or to state a reason, whereas “Because” means to imply a reason in the statement. Since is either used at the beginning or middle of the sentence but because is always used in the middle of the sentence.

例：

Since – Dave and Anny are best friends ‘since’ second grade.
Because – We are late ‘because’ she was not on time.

Comparison Table Between Since and Between

比較のパラメータ	以来	間
品詞	Both conjunction and an adverb	It is a conjunction
Position in a Sentence	Can be used at the beginning or the middle of a sentence	Used in the middle of a sentence
目的	Used to bring a logical relationship between events or ideas and describing the sequential relationship between events.	It is used to bring out a reason for an idea or event.
Degree of Reason	Less important	Very important
Usability in Questions	Not used in questions	Used in question

What is ‘since’?

The name ‘since’ is known to possess two definitions. ‘Since’ is used to describe the time from a specified instance in the past until the present.

Additionally, the word ‘since’ is also used to indicate explanations of why something happened.

Example in Sentence Form of the Word ‘since’ in Describing a Specific Time

• Bill has been in Africa since the summer holiday.

Example in Sentence Form of the Word ‘since’ while expressing circumstance

• My uncle bought me a gift since it was my birthday.

What is ‘because’?

一方で、 the word ‘because’ is used to explain why an incident occurred. Some of the terms that can be used in place of the phrase ‘because of’ include ‘due to’ and ‘as a result of.’

The following are two examples in sentence form where the word ‘because’ has been employed.

• Malcom Gladwell states in his book Outliers that violinists are good at their art because of the 10000-hours-of-practice rule.

• The dog barked because it saw a thief in the compound.

Main Differences Between Since and Because

Notably, to avoid the misappropriation of the words ‘since’ and ‘because,’ one must understand how, when, and where to use either of the words.

Notably, differentiating the two words through their meaning might leave you still in the dark on how much different the terms are from each other. The following are the main differences between the words ‘since’ and ‘between.’

品詞

The word “since” can be used as an adverb and also as conjunction. When the word is used as an adverb, it is used to describe time, that is, from a certain period to date.

Additionally, the word ‘since’ is used as a conjunction to express the logical link between two events or ideas.

On the other hand, the word ‘because’ only acts as a conjunction to give a reason for a subordinate clause. In some cases, the word ‘since’ as an adverb can be used as a synonym for the word ‘because.’

However, one caution should be exercised in such scenarios to avoid ambiguity.

Position in a Sentence

The word ‘since’ can appear either at the beginning or in the middle of the sentence.

The following are examples of the word ‘since’ both at the beginning and in the middle of a sentence.

The word ‘since’ at the Beginning of a Sentence

• Since the rain came, I have planted plenty of trees.

The word ‘since’ at the Middle of a Sentence

• Tracy has scored at least two goals since the first week of training.

On the other hand, the word ‘because’ appears in the middle of a sentence.

In spoken word, the word might appear at the beginning of a sentence; otherwise, you would be committing a grammatical error by starting your sentence with the word ‘because.’

目的

The word ‘since’ can be used to bring a logical relationship between events or ideas.

Additionally, the word is adopted in describing the sequential relationship between events.

On the other side, the word ‘because’ is only used to bring out a reason or explanation for the existence or occurrence of any given scenario.

Degree of Reason

While the two words are used to express the reason behind a stated idea or event, they differ in the degree of reason.

The word ‘since’ is used when the cause or reason for a given scenario is well-known, hence less important.

On the other side, the word ‘because’ is used in scenarios where the reason is the most important part of the sentence.

Therefore, despite the two words acting as causal conjunctions, you should choose the right conjunction guided by the degree of reason.

Usability in Questions

At times one might require asking questions backed up with some explanation.

For example, asking whether a given scenario occurred as a result of a given idea or event. Notably, the word ‘because’ is preferred to ‘since’ in such cases, for grammatical reasons.

The following is an example of the right and the wrong use of the two conjunctions in asking questions.

Wrong Use

• Did you wash the car since it was dirty?

正しい使い方

• Did you wash the car because it was dirty?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Since and Because

Can I use Since instead of Because?

The word “Since” has two meanings. It is used to denote cause and it is also used to denote the point of time. “Because” is used to imply cause hence since can be used instead of because.

They are synonyms and can be interchanged.

例えば -

Because – Ram is not going to Delhi tomorrow because his mother has gotten sick.
Since – He has been working really hard since his rankings were dropped in last semester.

Can a sentence begin with the word Since?

Yes, a sentence can begin with the word since. Instead of using the since as conjunction you can use it to start a sentence and put the principal clause at the end.

例えば -
1) Since those fruits were stale, I gave up the idea of buying them.
2) Since Tina was not helping with the project, the group decided to ask her to leave.

What is another word for Since?

Since has two different meanings. It is used to denote cause and it is also used to denote a point of time. In the context of the time, no other word is more suitable than since and cannot be used.

If we talk in the context of a cause, there are two words that can replace since.
The two words are ‘because’ and ‘as’.

例えば -
1) I have been running around since 6 o’clock (point of time) [No synonyms]
2) He is not talking to Ashish since they had a fight. (cause) [synonyms available]
3) He is not talking to Ashish because they had a fight. [possible synonym]
4) He is not talking to Ashish as they had a fight. [possible synonym]

Can you use Since and Because in the same sentence?

Since and because act as synonyms of each other if since is used in the context of cause. It would be inappropriate to use them in the same sentence.

However, since is also used to denote a point of time. In this scenario, you can use them in the same sentence.

Since and because can be used in the same sentence.
For example – He is coming late because he has been working since 1 o’clock on his new project.

Show the use of Since in a sentence as a Conjunction?

Since can be used as a conjunction to connect the main clause and subordinate clause. Ex – Bruch has been quite busy since he started his own store.

結論

The two words, ‘since’ and ‘because’ are used in describing the relation between events or ideas.

However, the major difference between the two words is that the word ‘since’ can also be used in describing the time from a specified instance in the past to date.

Additionally, the use of the word ‘since’ may be bounded with ambiguity; hence, care should be taken when using it to avoid grammatical errors.