🧠 TOEIC Trap: Because vs Because Of

This Is a Structure Question — Not a Meaning Question

You’re halfway through the TOEIC test.
You’re tired, the clock’s ticking — and a simple-looking sentence pops up:

"The event was delayed ___ the heavy rain."

You know what it means. You even know the vocabulary.
But the answer choices both look right… and feel the same.

That’s the trap.
And it costs thousands of learners a point — for no good reason.

Let’s fix that.

🎯 WHY YOU GET THIS WRONG

TOEIC gives you two answers that both sound fine.
You pick the one that matches your meaning.

And that’s exactly how they trap you.

Because:

  • You’re focused on what the sentence says.

  • But TOEIC is focused on how the sentence is built.

They test the structure — not the story.

💣 WHAT YOU NEED TO SEE FAST

Here’s the play you need to call in your head:

“What comes after the blank — is it a thing or a sentence?”

That’s it. That one choice gets you the point.

  • THING = noun = because of

  • SENTENCE = subject + verb = because

👇 LET’S TRAIN THE TRIGGER

We’ll use the same sentence and swap what comes after.
Watch what changes.

✅ CORRECT:

He left early because he was sick.
→ Full sentence after = subject + verb = use because

✅ CORRECT:

He left early because of illness.
→ “Illness” is just a noun = use because of

❌ WRONG:

He left early because of he was sick.
→ You mixed a noun phrase connector (because of) with a sentence. That’s the trap.

🧪 COACHED TOEIC-STYLE QUESTIONS

Q1.
She was absent ___ a medical emergency.

A) because
B) because of

🧠 “a medical emergency” is a thing → ✅ B: because of

Q2.
She was absent ___ she had a medical emergency.

A) because
B) because of

🧠 “she had…” is a sentence → ✅ A: because

Q3.
We had to cancel ___ the bad weather.

A) because
B) because of

🧠 “the bad weather” = thing → ✅ B: because of

Q4.
We had to cancel ___ it was snowing hard.

A) because
B) because of

🧠 “it was snowing…” = sentence → ✅ A: because

📝 YOUR TURN — PRACTICE TEST

1. I was late ___ the traffic jam.
A) because
B) because of

2. I was late ___ there was a traffic jam.
A) because
B) because of

3. They postponed the trip ___ rain.
A) because
B) because of

4. They postponed the trip ___ it rained heavily.
A) because
B) because of


✅ Answer Key + Coaching

1. ✅ B) because of
🧠 “the traffic jam” is a thing (noun). No verb.
→ Correct: because of
→ ❌ A) is wrong because you need a sentence after "because"

2. ✅ A) because
🧠 “there was a traffic jam” is a full sentence (subject + verb).
→ Correct: because
→ ❌ B) is wrong because "because of" can't be followed by a sentence

3. ✅ B) because of
🧠 “rain” is a noun. Simple reason, no verb.
→ Correct: because of
→ ❌ A) is wrong because there's no sentence after

4. ✅ A) because
🧠 “it rained heavily” is a full sentence.
→ Correct: because
→ ❌ B) is wrong — “because of it rained heavily” is a structure error


🔁 FINAL COACHING:

TOEIC wants you to panic and guess.
Your job is to pause and check:

“What’s coming after — is it a sentence, or a thing?”

That pause gets you the point.

🔍 SEO FAQ — Because vs Because of What is the difference between “because” and “because of”? “Because” is followed by a full sentence. “Because of” is followed by a noun or noun phrase. How can I know if I should use “because” or “because of”? Check what comes after: if it’s a sentence with a subject and verb, use “because.” If it’s just a noun, use “because of.” Can I say “because of he was late”? No. That’s incorrect. Use “because he was late” or “because of his lateness.” Is “because of” always followed by a noun? Yes. “Because of” must be followed by a noun or noun phrase, not a full sentence. Can I start a sentence with “because of”? Yes. For example: “Because of the storm, the meeting was canceled.” What’s wrong with “because of it was raining”? It’s incorrect because “because of” cannot be followed by a sentence. Use “because it was raining” or “because of the rain.” How do I avoid the ‘because vs because of’ mistake in TOEIC? Look at what comes after the blank. If there’s a verb, use “because.” If not, use “because of.” Which is more formal: because or because of? Both are neutral in tone. Neither is considered more formal in TOEIC. Is it okay to use “due to” instead of “because of”? Sometimes yes, but TOEIC tests them separately. Use “because of” unless you’re sure. Can “because” come at the beginning of a sentence? Yes. For example: “Because he was late, we started without him.” What’s the TOEIC trick with “because” and “because of”? TOEIC gives you both as choices. The trick is to test your understanding of structure, not just meaning. Why does “because of” need a noun? It’s a fixed phrase that connects to a cause, not a full action. Is “because of rain” correct? Yes. “Rain” is a noun, so this is a correct use of “because of.” Is “because it rained” correct? Yes. That’s a proper use of “because” followed by a full sentence. Can I use “because” without a subject? No. “Because” must be followed by a subject and verb. Can I say “The match was postponed because the rain”? No. That’s incorrect. It should be “because of the rain” or “because it rained.” Why did TOEIC mark “because of he was late” as wrong? Because you used “because of” with a sentence. It should be “because he was late” or “because of his lateness.” What part of TOEIC tests “because vs because of”? Mainly Part 5 (grammar fill-ins) and sometimes in Part 3/4 listening. Is there a shortcut to check between “because” and “because of”? Yes. If what follows could be a full sentence, use “because.” If it’s just a noun, use “because of.” Can I just memorize examples to get this right? That helps, but spotting whether what follows is a sentence or not is faster and more reliable.