Linking clauses by subordination

Expressing reason

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Using as and since

As and since occur equally commonly at the beginning of a sentence and in the second part of the sentence. They occur at the start of the sentence when the reason is already known to the reader or when it is not considered as important as the information carried in the main clause:

She and some friends were visiting the village of Gaucin in Andalucia, where she fell in love with a disused olive mill that was for sale. As it was an industrial building, she had to build interior walls, introduce staircases and create windows. (Bank of English)

The leadership contest has fuelled speculation about when a general election will be called. Since one of the key factors influencing this is likely to be the state of the economy, a new forecast published today takes on added significance. (Bank of English)

When the information carried in the as/since clause is considered more important than that in the main clause, the author can reflect this by placing the reason clause second:

There was little flowing rugby in the game as New Zealand had to contend with a strong wind and a tough local front row, but two tries by Bunce and one by Fitzpatrick saw them home. (Bank of English)

Genetic differences could obviously be contributing to the pattern in Figure 6.3, since brighter parents presumably have more education and earn more money, and also pass on their "bright" genes to their children. (Bank of English)

Using because
Using as and since