“Due to” and “because of”–are they interchangeable? Or are they used in particular situations? Does it matter?
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These phrases have similar meanings, but they are not interchangeable. If you are taking the SAT or ACT, it matters because sometimes there is a question testing you on these phrases. If you are a student writing for a stickler of a grammarian, it matters because you might lose credit if you misuse these phrases. If you are someone like me who writes a blog or edits a newsletter or reports for a newspaper, it can matter if your readers discern that you don’t know the proper use of these phrases.
“Due to” should be used as an adjective after a linking verb.
“Because of” should be used as an adverb and should not follow a linking verb.
Good: My swollen ankle is due to a tumble I took today.
Bad: My swollen ankle is because of a tumble I took today.
Good: Because of a fall, my ankle is swollen.
Bad: Due to a fall, my ankle is swollen.
English Writing Teacher 