‘Because of’ and ‘Due to’ Practice Question #1

Let’s see if you can correctly use ‘because of’, ‘due to’, and ’caused by’ in a practice question. If you are confused about the usage of these phrases, refer to our blog on when to use ‘because of’ and ‘due to’ here – When to Use ‘Because of’ and ‘Due to ?’

Question –

Identify which of sentences use “due to”, “caused by” and “because of” from the following practice questions correctly:-

1. Deaths caused by heart failure are increasing in the United States, particularly among the over-age-65 population.
2. About 4 million children worldwide develop asthma each year caused by inhaling nitrogen dioxide air pollution.
3. No less than one-third of a car’s fuel consumption is due to friction loss which also directly impacts emissions.
4. The Science Team CCGS Amundsen has cancelled the first leg of the 2017 Expedition due to complications associated with the southward motion of hazardous Arctic sea ice.
5. Some psychologists believe that religion may have evolved due to its ability to help people exercise self-control.
6. According to new research, some top soccer players are under-performing caused by worries about their gambling losses.
7. Because of the complex range of possible explanations for tiredness at school, further larger studies will be needed before any firm conclusions can be made about the social causes and consequences of sleep deprivation among today’s youth.
8. Biologists believe that the collapse of desert bird populations in the Mojave Desert is likely because of heat stress from climate change.
9. Skulls of modern humans and ancient Neanderthals evolved differently because of chance, not natural selection.
10. Earthquakes that take place in densely populated mountainous regions, such as the Himalayas,  are bigger earthquakes because of faster tectonic-plate collisions.

Solution –

1. Correct. “Deaths” is a noun and “caused by” modifies this noun.
2. Incorrect. The sentence is telling us the reason behind the verb “develop” – why do children develop asthma? Thus, we need the verb modifier “because of”.
3. Correct. “Due to” is modifying the noun “consumption”. We are being told about the reason behind this consumption and the reason is “friction loss”.
4. Incorrect. The sentence is telling us the reason behind the verb “has cancelled” – why has the team cancelled…? Thus, we need the verb modifier “because of”.
5. Incorrect. The sentence is telling us the reason behind the verb “may have evolved” – why religion evolved…? Thus, we need the verb modifier “because of”.
6. Incorrect. . The sentence is telling us the reason behind the verb “are underperforming” – why the soccer players are underperforming…? Thus, we need the verb modifier “because of”.
7. Correct. The sentence is telling us the reason behind the verb “will be needed” – why further larger studies will be needed…?
8. Incorrect. “Because of” is telling us the reason behind the noun “collapse…..”. Thus, we need a noun modifier whereas “because of” is a verb modifier. We need to use “due to” instead of “because of”.
9. Correct. The sentence is telling us the reason behind the verb “evolved” – why the two types of skulls evolved differently…?
10. Correct: The sentence is telling us the reason behind the verb “are” – why the two earthquakes are bigger…?

Suggested Read: How to start preparing for the GMAT