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'Due to' modifies a noun; 'because of' modifies a verb or the whole sentence.
Side-by-side comparison
"Due to" works like an adjective and modifies a noun. You will typically see it after verbs like "be": "The delay was due to traffic".
The match was cancelled due to heavy rain on the pitch.
Her success is largely due to hard work and a genuine love of learning.
The flight was delayed due to a technical fault with the aircraft.
"Because of" works like an adverb and modifies the verb or the whole sentence. It can go at the start or in the middle of a sentence with more flexibility than "due to".
We had to cancel the trip because of an unexpected storm warning.
She was late to school because of the heavy traffic on the main road.
The restaurant closed early because of a problem with the kitchen equipment.
Common mistake
- •"The success is because of good planning" after a copular verb is questionable: use "due to" ("The success is due to good planning").
- •And "due to she left early" is wrong: both take only nouns or gerunds, not a phrase with subject + verb.
Trick to remember it
- •Quick test: substitute with "caused by".
- •If it fits = "due to" ("caused by poor planning").
- •If it modifies an action verb = "because of" ("They failed because of poor planning").
Quick rule
- •"Due to" = modifies a noun (the result was due to the cause).
- •"Because of" = modifies a verb (the team acted because of the cause).
- •Both + noun/gerund, never + a phrase with subject + verb.
Did you know?
The grammatical distinction between "due to" and "because of" is one of the longest-running disputes in prescriptive English. 20th-century purists insisted "due to" could only function as an adjective. However, this "adverbial" use has existed since the 15th century and appears in canonical writers like Chaucer. Today most modern style guides accept both uses, noting the adjectival use is more formal.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The flight was delayed _____ bad weather.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The cancellation was _____ a lack of funding.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
'Despite' and 'in spite of' are synonyms meaning 'in spite of', but 'despite' is more concise.
'Because' introduces the cause or reason; 'so' introduces the effect or consequence.
'So that' introduces a purpose clause with its own subject; 'in order to' introduces a purpose infinitive with the same subject.
'A' is used before consonant sounds; 'an' is used before vowel sounds.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy