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Unit 3: English In A Minute
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Session 93

Welcome to English In A Minute. Give us a minute and we'll give you a hot tip about English vocabulary... there's so much to learn! And all taught by your favourite BBC Learning English staff!

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    Activity 1
  1. Activity 1

Activity 1

Meanings of 'cause'

Phil teaches meanings of 'cause'.

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Phil
Let's learn cause. As a verb, it can mean 'make something happen', and it's usually something bad.

Examples
I didn't cause the accident. It was him.
The flooding was caused by heavy rainfall.

Phil
In a similar way, as a noun, it can mean 'the reason something happened'.

Examples
The cause of the fire was being investigated.
Bad posture is the cause of your back pain.

Phil
It can also mean 'the reason that you feel a particular way'.

Examples
Your low grades in maths are a cause for concern.
Passing that exam is a real cause for celebration.

Phil
If we want to say that we're doing something for a good reason, we can say 'it's for a good cause'.

Example
Raising money for charity is hard work, but it's for a good cause.

Phil
So, cause is all about the reason that something happens, or why we feel in a certain way. We can help make sure that English doesn't cause you any problems.

Cause

As a verb, cause can mean 'make something happen', usually something bad.

  • I didn't cause the problem. You did!
  • The damage was caused by an earthquake.

Cause, as a noun can mean 'the reason something happened'.

  • The cause of the flood is being investigated.
  • Bad posture is the cause of your neck pain.

Cause can mean 'the reason that you feel a particular way'.

  • Your low grades in physics are a cause for concern.
  • Getting that job is a cause for celebration.

If we say we are doing something 'for a good cause' then we are doing something for a good reason.

  • Raising money for charity is hard work, but it's for a good cause.

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