Resources
The Reason is That
Reason Enough
By Evan Jenkins
Mr. Dole,” the article said, “asserted that the reason his proposal had yet to catch on was because media coverage of it had been overwhelmingly negative.” Make it “the reason was...that....” Why? Because...the sense of “because” is already in the sentence in the word “reason,” and if we use “because” we’re repeating ourselves.
Addendum, 12/10/98
Joseph C. Alvarez, who describes himself as a retired Air Force man and (figuratively) a “fiddler,” saw that item and e-mailed: “May I submit that ‘why’ grates on my nerves when used after ‘the reason...’ It is smoother and neater simply to say, ‘The reason he failed to make himself clear , etc.’ “
“Theirs not to reason why,” Tennyson wrote. But he was using “reason” as a verb, and the line was not only memorable but also sensible. The “why” that irks Mr. Alvarez, which shows up often, rarely if ever serves a purpose.
CJR
