均可表示“由于”、“因为”,按照传统语法:due to主要引导表语,而because of主要引导状语。如:
His illness is due to bad food. 他生病是由于吃了不好的食物。
The accident was due to careless driving. 这次车祸起因于驾驶疏忽。
He can’t come because of the bad weather. 他不能来是因为天气不好。
但是在现代英语中,due to也可用来引导状语。如:
由于交通拥挤他迟到了。
正:He was late due to [owing to, because of] the very heavy traffic.
正:Due to [Owing to, Because of] the very heavy traffic, he was late.
because of 通常只用来引导状语,若引导表语,主语通常应为代词。如:
It is all because of what you said. 那完全是因为你说的话。
because of 和 due to两个词虽然在中文可能都会翻成「因为」,词性也都是介词,但是其实他们的用法却是不一样的,不可以随便替换,会造成语法错误!
because of 前面必须是有一般动词的完整句子,而 due to 前要有名词,不能是一般动词(be 动词不是一般动词,be 动词是系动词),因为 due to 本质上是用来说明、形容名词的。