在中学英语中,表示"原因"意义的词很多,其用法各异,现小结如下,希望能对同学们的学习有所禅益。

　　1. for表示内在的,心理上的原因,常与表示喜、怒、哀、乐等情感名词连用;还可表示某种动作或结果的起因。而并列连词for则表示某种结果的补充理由或显而易见的原因。例如:

　　He trembled for cold.

　　Thank you for your help.

　　The shop was quite new, for it had opened only the week before.

　　2. at表示某种情感或情绪的起因,即因见了或听了某事后而产生喜、怒、哀、乐、惊等情感或情绪的原因,常意为"看到……;听到……"。例如:

　　The whole nation was in deep sorrow at this news.

　　3. by表示外在的原因,尤其是无意中造成某种结果的原因。例如:

　　You took his pen by mistake.

　　4. on表示能够作为依据或条件的原因,常意为"依照……"。例如:

　　He has given up smoking on medical advice.

　　We should act on principle.

　　5. because of表示引起某种结果的直接原因,意义与连词because相同。例如:

　　She didn't go to school because of illness.

　　They stayed at home because of rain.

　　6. with指生理上或情感上的原因,常意为"随着……"。例如:

　　The girl cried with pain when a tooth was pulled out.

　　7. of和from表示原因时常与die或类似意义的词连用。die of指因疾病、冻饿、害怕、羞愧等内因或外因造成的死亡结果;die from表示因伤、事故等外因或不明原因造成的死亡结果。与表示疾病的名词连用时,二者均可。from还可表示因懒惰等而造成某种后果的原因。例如:

　　Tens of thousands of people died of hunger.

　　The old man died from wounds.

　　She died of/from cancer.

　　The beggar wasn't ill; he stayed in bed from laziness.

　　8. owing to多表示造成某种不良后果的原因。例如:

　　Owing to the rain they could not come.

　　Owing to his lacking in experience, she didn't succeed this time.

　　9. thanks to表示引起某种幸运结果的原因,常意为"幸亏……;多亏……"。例如:

　　Thanks to the Communist Party of China, we are now living a happy life.

　　10. out of表示动机的起因,常意为"由于……"。例如:

　　He did it out of pity.

　　(文/黄胜周；英语辅导报高三版2003-2004学年第48期；版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)