Linking words
Reason: because, as, since. We use because, as and since when we want to explain the reason for something. As and since are more common in formal speech and writing.
I'm calling to complainbecause the goods are damaged.
I am returning the goods as/since they were damaged on arrival.
As and since can come at the beginning of the sentence. Normally we do not begin sentence.
with because, but this is possible in informal speech.
As/since the goods were damaged on arrival, I am returning them.
Because you're a first-time customer, I need to see your bank references.
· Result: so.We use so to express a result. Note the relation between because and so:
I'm calling to complain becausethe goods are damaged. (reason)
The goods are damaged, soI'm calling to complain. (result)
- Purpose: to and for. We usethe to infinitive to express purpose, to say why we do things.
He went to the airport to meetMr Li.
I'mcalling to talkabout the sales conference next week.
Mr Zhu said the Government would workto improve China's unemployment insurance system andto speed up reform of the labour market. (Australian Financial Review website)
We can use in order to or so as to in place of to. They are more formal.
The CEO called a press conference in order toexplain the merger.
We can use the negative in order not to or so as not to. We cannot use not to on its own.
/'// call a taxiso as not tomiss my flight.
We can use for followed by a noun to say why we do something.
He went to the airport for a meetingwith Mr Li. (= to have a meeting)
Shall we go out for some lunch?(= to have some lunch)
- Purpose: so that
We can use so (that) to express purpose. After so (that) we use subject + verb.
I guess the question is how do you develop your company so that it can evolve in response to changing customer expectations. (e-business advisor website)
For a present purpose we use the present simple, will or can.
I'll send it by courier so (that)it gets/it'll getto you on time.
I'm calling you so (that) I can checkyour last order.
For a past purpose we use the past simple, would or could.
I sent it by courier yesterday so (that)it got/it'd getto you on time.
I left work early so (that) I could gothe doctor's.
If the subject of the first part of the sentence and the subject of the purpose clause are different,
we can't use to. We have to use so (that).
I'm calling totalk about the sales conference. (same subject)
I'm calling so (that) wecan talk about the sales conference. (different subject)
She called a press conference toexplain the merger. (same subject)
She called a conference so (that) journalistscould ask questions, (different subject)
- Manner: as, as if and like.We can use as or like before a clause (subject + verb) to mean 'in the way that'. In this case there is no difference in meaning, but as is more formal.
He runs the company as/likehis father used to.
We'll have four people working on the stand, as/likewe did last year.
As Central Europe looks for growth, it could learn a lot from countries like Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Greece. All of them started off their EU careers far poorer than the EU average, just as Central Europe will do. (Business Central Europe website)
We can use as if or like before a clause to say how someone or something feels, looks, sounds
or behaves.
I have a bit of a temperature feel as if/likeI should go home.
It looks as if/likewe're going to recover our costs by the end of the year.
For two decades, Friedel Neuber ran the giant German savings bank WestLB as ifit were an arm of the government. (Business Week website)
We can use as and like before a noun or noun phrase. In this case as means 'something is
something', and like means 'something is similar to something'.
She works asa financial controller. (she is one)
She thinks likea financial controller. (she thinks in a similar way to one)
We're using the Estonian market asa test. (it is a test)
The Estonian market is likea test for Finnish market (it is not a test, but is it similar to one)