Yankee Doodle Durham

Yes, I admit, I’m a bit of a stickler for grammar. I’m don’t go crazy over the way people speak, but I do think that anything a person plans on publishing—blogs, menus, resumes, professional articles and papers, etc.—should be carefully proofread. Because my friends know of my penchant for grammar, I’m often the one called upon to proofread. Here’s my quick tip of the day.

There is a difference between “since” and “because.”

Since refers to the passage of time, and because explains the reason for something. While the dictionary does reference them as synonyms, and modern usage allows for them to be used interchangeably, in order to avoid confusion, just try to stick to the original definitions. Here are some examples of how using “since” as a synonym for “because” can create confusion:

• Since she left Boston, Mary was sad. Has Mary been sad for weeks (since the time she left Boston)? Or is Mary sad because she is no longer in Boston?
• Since we spoke, I’ve been having second thoughts. Am I having second thoughts because of the content of our conversation, or from the time we spoke until now?

My opinion—when you mean “because,” just say because. It’s not a dirty word. Another tip? Using phrases like “due to the fact that,” “owing to the fact that,” or “on account of”  do not make your writing sound any better. They just take up space and make you sound stiff.

Because I’ve been editing a co-worker’s paper since this morning, this topic has been on my mind. (See what I did there?!).

End of grammar rant.