Forget what your English teacher told you

Instances abound in writing that involve confusion between the use of various pairs of words. Often, the confusion exists because the two words in a pair sound alike. But not always. Take the example of since and because.

These two are often used interchangeably although they sound nothing alike and each has a different meaning. Since should be used only when were referring to a specific time or a period of time as in, "I haven't eaten since 6 a.m." or, "The weather's been lousy since yesterday."

Because provides a reason or refers to a cause: "Because you were late, we've missed the start of the show" or, to use because and since properly in a single sentence, "I'm hungry because I haven't eaten since 6 a.m."

Usually the offending usage occurs when writers swap since for because: "Since you were late, we've missed the start of the show." That's wrong.

How did this confusion come about? Because seems to be one of those words that have a murky, though undeserved, reputation, often as the result of something people vaguely remember from junior-high English class. Many teachers once scolded their charges for using because to start a sentence, claiming it was a no-no. That simple but incorrect rule stuck, and now you have many people using since when they should be using because.

Scrap that idea! There's nothing wrong with using because to start a sentence, as skillfully explained by Joanne Feierman in the "Five Lies Your English Teacher Told You" section of her book on grammar and usage.

I hope this clears things up. Because I believe I've fully covered this topic, I'll close now and have lunch. I haven't eaten since 6 a.m.