Advertising
LEO

It looks like you’re using an ad blocker.

Would you like to support LEO?

Disable your ad blocker for LEO or make a donation.

LEO Pur
 
  •  

  • Forum home

    Language lab

    for (because)

    4­ Replies
    Topic

    for (because)

    Comment
    I was going through link words with my student, and for 'for' he came up with this sentence:

    I couldn't take any more pictures for the SD card was full.

    I think this example sounds off and 'for' doesn't quite work here, but I have no idea why. It just doesn't sound right to me. Does anybody have a more useful explanation? Is it simply too formal/poetic (LEO even says 'dated', which I don't quite agree with)?
    Author Gibson (418762) 11 Aug 13, 17:35
    Comment
    Is it simply too formal/poetic?

    That's basically it. "Dated" isn't completely wide of the mark either. I don't think I know anyone who would use "for" as a conjunction in conversation.

    The sentence itself is 100% correct; it's just that it makes him sound like Virginia Woolf or one of the aristocrats in Downton Abbey.
    #1Author captain flint (782544) 11 Aug 13, 17:44
    Comment
    Thank you.
    #2Author Gibson (418762) 11 Aug 13, 17:57
    Comment
    Another difficulty with this sentence is that the reader would normally read: I couldn't take any more pictures for the SD card... and then encounter was full and have to back up to figure it out.

    That problem could be fixed with a comma: I couldn't take any more pictures, for the SD card was full,

    But I agree with captain flint: "for" as a conjunction in the sense of "because" is uncommon. It seems dated to me, and I think it's usually perceived as formal.

    #3Author eric (new york) (63613) 11 Aug 13, 18:18
    Comment
    My vote goes with eric in both issues.
    #4Author hbberlin (420040) 13 Aug 13, 15:06
     
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  
 
 
 
 
 
en
English ⇔ German
 
de
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
en
English ⇔ Spanish
 
es
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
en
English ⇔ French
 
fr
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
en
English ⇔ Russian
 
ru
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
fr
French ⇔ German
 
de
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
es
Spanish ⇔ German
 
de
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
it
Italian ⇔ German
 
de
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
zh
Chinese ⇔ German
 
de
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
ru
Russian ⇔ German
 
de
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
pt
Portuguese ⇔ German
 
de
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
pl
Polish ⇔ German
 
de
ForumsTrainerCourses
 
es
Spanish ⇔ Portuguese
 
pt
ForumsTrainerCourses
Hello
 ­ automatisch zu ­ ­ umgewandelt