🎯 TOEIC Trap: Because / Because of / Due to

How to Pick the Right One Under Pressure

TOEIC won’t confuse you with rare vocabulary — it will trip you up with small, familiar words you think you know.
One of the most common traps? Choosing between because, because of, and due to.

They all show a reason. But they follow different patterns — and if you pick based on “what sounds okay,” you’re likely to lose the point.

1️⃣ The Real Difference

Because → Followed by a full sentence

  • He stayed home because he was tired.

  • The event was canceled because the speaker didn’t come.

Clue: Subject + action word comes after it.

Because of → Followed by a noun or noun phrase

  • He stayed home because of the rain.

  • The event was canceled because of the speaker’s absence.

Clue: No verb immediately after it.

Due to → Same as “because of” but only after “be”

  • The delay was due to bad weather.

  • His success is due to hard work.

Clue: Appears right after “was / is / were” and before a noun.

2️⃣ Common TOEIC Mistakes

❌ Because of he was tired — Wrong: needs a noun after “because of,” not a sentence.

❌ Due to she left early — Wrong: “due to” can’t be followed by a sentence.

❌ The flight delayed due to weather — Wrong: missing “was” before “due to.”

3️⃣ TOEIC-Style Practice

Q1. The game was cancelled ___ heavy rain.
(A) because
(B) because of
(C) due
(D) although
✅ Answer: (B) because of — Noun follows (“heavy rain”).

Q2. He stayed home ___ he wasn’t feeling well.
(A) because
(B) because of
(C) due to
(D) despite
✅ Answer: (A) because — Full sentence follows (“he wasn’t feeling well”).

Q3. The delay was ___ a power outage.
(A) due to
(B) because
(C) although
(D) because of
✅ Answer: (A) due to — “Was” before blank + noun after.

Q4. The meeting was postponed ___ the CEO’s travel schedule.
(A) because
(B) due to
(C) although
(D) because of
✅ Answer: (B) due to — “Was” before blank, noun after.

📌 Strategy / Takeaway

  1. Look after the blank:

    • If it’s a subject + action word → because.

    • If it’s a noun → because of (safe in most noun cases).

    • If it’s after “was / is / were” → due to.

  2. Don’t guess by sound — check the structure.

Golden Rule:

The words are easy. The pattern is what TOEIC is testing.

Final Word

TOEIC separates high scores from average scores with small pattern traps like this. Once you know which form matches the sentence structure, these become easy points.

For more strategies and resources to master TOEIC connector traps, visit the English Library Collection and start locking in cause-and-reason confidence today.

What’s the difference between “because” and “because of”? “Because” is followed by a full sentence. “Because of” is followed by a noun. Example: I stayed home because it was raining. I stayed home because of the rain. When do I use “because”? Use “because” when what follows has a subject and a verb. Example: She was late because the train stopped. Can I say “because of he was late”? No. That’s incorrect. Use “because” before “he was late.” Say: He was late because he missed the bus. What comes after “because of”? A noun or noun phrase comes after “because of.” Example: The delay was because of traffic. Is “due to” the same as “because of”? Almost, but not always. “Due to” must come after a form of “be,” like “is” or “was.” Example: The delay was due to traffic. Can I start a sentence with “because of”? Yes. Example: Because of the storm, the event was cancelled. Is it wrong to say “due to he was late”? Yes. That is incorrect. Use “because” instead. Say: He was late because he missed the train. When do I use “due to”? Use “due to” after a form of “be” (like is, are, was, were) and before a noun. Example: The cancellation was due to rain. Which is more formal: “because of” or “due to”? “Due to” is a little more formal, but both are used often. Use whichever fits the sentence pattern. Can I use “because” in the middle of a sentence? Yes. Example: He stayed home because he felt sick. Can I say “the flight was cancelled because of it was snowing”? No. That is incorrect. Say: The flight was cancelled because it was snowing. Or: The flight was cancelled because of the snow. What is the most natural way to explain a reason? Use “because” if you have a full sentence after. Use “because of” if only a noun comes after. Do “due to” and “because of” mean the same thing? Yes, they have the same meaning, but they follow different sentence patterns. Can I use “due to” at the start of a sentence? Only if the sentence starts with “It was due to…” or something similar. Example: It was due to a mistake. What’s wrong with “because of she was sick”? It has a sentence after “because of,” so it’s incorrect. Say: She stayed home because she was sick. Is “due” the same as “due to”? No. “Due” by itself doesn’t work in this kind of sentence. Say: The problem was due to poor planning. Can I say “He left due to tired”? That sounds unnatural. Better: He left due to tiredness. Or: He left because he was tired. What do I look for after the blank on TOEIC questions? If it’s a noun, use “because of” or “due to.” If it’s a sentence, use “because.” Can I say “She cried because of she failed”? No. That’s wrong. Say: She cried because she failed. Or: She cried because of her failure. Why does TOEIC ask about these phrases so often? Because they sound similar but follow different patterns. It checks if you notice what comes next — a noun or a full sentence.
A Colour image of a Japanese man studying for the TOEIC test making his answers on an answer sheet