Independent clause + because + dependent clause
* Independent clause: A complete sentence that can stand alone.
* Because: The conjunction that introduces the reason or cause.
* Dependent clause: A clause that cannot stand alone and depends on the independent clause for its meaning.
Here are some examples:
* I went to the park because it was a beautiful day.
* "I went to the park" is the independent clause.
* "because it was a beautiful day" is the dependent clause, explaining why the speaker went to the park.
* He didn't go to the party because he was sick.
* "He didn't go to the party" is the independent clause.
* "because he was sick" is the dependent clause, explaining why he didn't go.
Other conjunctions can introduce a reason or cause clause:
* Since: I'm staying home since I'm feeling under the weather.
* As: As it was raining, we decided to stay inside.
It's important to note that:
* The dependent clause always follows the independent clause.
* The dependent clause can be placed at the beginning or end of the sentence, but it's more common to place it at the end.
* There are other ways to express a reason or cause, such as using a prepositional phrase (e.g., "due to," "owing to").
Understanding "because clauses" helps improve your understanding of sentence structure and the ways in which we explain reasons and causes in English.