We’re guessing that at some point in your grammar school days, you’ve been told that using the phrase “the reason is because” is superfluous. And, according to a certain view of the definition, it is so. But we’re here to say that you shouldn’t be scolded or feel shy about using this phrase.
Proponents argue against it that since because means “for that reason”, e.g. “The reason I call vanilla is because I like it” is equivalent to saying “The reason I call vanilla is the reason I like it.” This seems obviously repetitive and pretty pointless.
Stay tuned for a “however…”
However, most people are very sensitive to obvious redundancy and would not construct a sentence like the following one. The truth is because doesn’t always mean “for that reason.” It can also be interpreted as “the fact that” or simply “that.” With either of these meanings substituted in the phrase, the phrase “the reason is because” makes sense and is not necessarily redundant. Evidently, many writers who have used this phrase do not find it superfluous—and we agree, especially since it appears in the formal letters and prose of many writers, including Francis Bacon, Jonathan Swift, John Adams, Robert Frost, Ernest Hemingway, and EB White.
The reason is, because the Religion of the Pagans, consists of rites and rituals rather than any staunch beliefs. — Francis Bacon, essay1625
The reason I tell you so is because it is done by your pastor…. — Jonathan Swift, Stella MagazineMay 14, 1711
The reason is because it is more important…that innocence to be protected than sin to be punished. — John Adams, final argument in defense of British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre, 1770
If the person who wrote it seems to know more about my travels and arrivals than he might without my complicity, it is because he is a lovely boy and has been completely possessive. me when I was in Boston. — Robert Frost, letter, March 22, 1915
The reason people now try to avoid it, denying that it matters, making it seem futile to try to do it, is because it’s too hard. —Ernest Hemingway, Africa’s green hills1935
The reason the story was never made into a movie is because I wouldn’t sign the contract…. — EB White, letter, October 28, 1969
(You may have noticed that in more modern examples, reason separated from because terms by intervening matter, sometimes quite long. In older examples reason found more often right next door because. Looks like the splitting is done to improve readability; becausein the latter position of the sentence, becomes a signal word for the reader to tell them that the next thing is the “reason” mentioned earlier.)
The second argument against “reason is because” attempts to attack the grammatical plausibility of the phrase, arguing that “reason is” requires a descriptive clause beginning with that thing because of the linking verb To be—grammatically, connect a topic with the description that follows. Using our ongoing ice cream example, “The reason I call it vanilla is because I like it,” “that I like it” is a descriptive relative clause. However, since because share the same meaning as conjunction that thing “The reason I call vanilla is because I like it” is also acceptable if that’s your preference.
Sentences like “If you’re tired, it’s because you stayed up all night playing video games again” are certainly recognizable as standard English. If because can refer to a pronoun like It or also popular this or that thing (“this/that’s because”), there’s no logical reason for it not to refer to a noun like reason. Thus, the grammatical objection to “the reason is because” does not keep up.
The “why is because” treatment would be incomplete without mentioning the “why is because” (we don’t have a problem with constructing the “why”, by the way). Not available because since, like because, Why can act as a conjunction meaning “for what” and so “why” is translated as “reason for what”). “The reason why is because” is more common in older sources and today mostly appears in colloquial speech.
I don’t know if I’ve ever told you about it, but the reason I left England was because I was sent by Aunt Agatha to try to stop young Gussie from marrying a girl on a variety stage. …. – PG Wodehouse, “Leave It To Jeeves,” 1916
“Within five minutes, I said, ‘I can do this show. I might enjoy doing this show.’ And the reason is because I get to play an expanded version of myself, which is great. I can sketch in front of a live audience.” — Billy Crystal, quoted in Gwinnett’s Daily PostApril 1, 2015
In short, “the reason is because” has been attested in literary use for centuries. If you’re uncomfortable using this phrase or find it awkward, don’t use it. But it’s possible to ignore the criticisms of others – there’s really no argument against that. This phrase may make you nervous (along with “why is because”), but it puts its adopters in some very famous literary company.
Categories: Usage Notes
Source: vothisaucamau.edu.vn
