ENGLISH
REFERENCE

for this reason

prep. phr..
A2 Elementary Oxford

prep. phr.. You use this to show that what you say next is the result of what you just said. It means 'because of that'.

prep. phr.. A cohesive device used to introduce a clause that states the consequence or result of a previously mentioned cause or situation.


SIMPLE

It is raining. For this reason, we are staying inside.

CONTEXTUAL

The main road was closed due to an accident, and for this reason, traffic was much heavier than usual.

COMPLEX

The defendant had no credible alibi and a clear financial motive; for this reason, the jury quickly returned a guilty verdict.

Usage

This phrase typically starts a sentence and is followed by a comma, linking back to the previous statement.

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'so' (less formal) and 'therefore' (more formal); 'for this reason' is a clear, mid-formality connector that explicitly references the preceding idea.

Pitfall

She was tired for this reason she went to bed early.She was tired. For this reason, she went to bed early.This phrase usually starts a new sentence to connect two ideas, and it needs a comma after it.

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