“DUE TO” (ACTUAL EXAMPLE)



THE PROBLEM REVEALED AND EXPLAINED:


Due to is properly used with a form of the verb to be, whether explicit—

      “The delay is due to an avalanche”

or implicit—

     “The delay, due to an avalanche, is affecting thousands of vacationers.”

Something “is due to” something else. Trouble arises when we get a bit sloppy about making it clear what it is that “is due to” the something else following the verbal phrase. In the boxed example, it’s not we but instead the turning away of applicants that “was due to” these causes.

THE EDIT:


Any number of rewritings will couple the right subject with “is due to” (with the verb to be made explicit or implicit). Here’s one, in part:

     “. . . qualified applicants were turned away; this was due to a shortage of. . . .”

Or even

     “Because of a shortage [etc.], for the year 42,866 qualified applicants were turned away. . . .”

 

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Better Writing—Instantly

  1. TEN EASY FIXES


  2.   1. based on

  3.   2. dangling modifier

  4.   3. different

  5.   4. due to

  6.   5. is comprised of

  7.   coming soon:

  8.   6. not only but also

  9.   7. provide

  10.   8. robust (and other buzzwords)

  11.   9. singular-they

  12. 10. the following