ENGLISH
REFERENCE

in the light of sth

prep. phr..
C1 Advanced Oxford

prep. phr.. you use this when you change your opinion or decision because you have new information.

prep. phr.. a prepositional phrase used to indicate that a decision, judgment, or action is being made after considering specific new facts or circumstances.


SIMPLE

We changed our plans in the light of the bad weather.

CONTEXTUAL

The company decided to hire more staff in the light of the recent increase in sales.

COMPLEX

In the light of the latest scientific evidence regarding climate change, the government has been forced to revise its long-term energy strategy.

Usage

usually appears at the beginning or end of a sentence to provide a reason for a change in thinking.

Teaching tip

this is a formal alternative to 'because of' or 'considering'; note that 'in light of' (without 'the') is also common, especially in American English.

Pitfall

In the light from the new information.In the light of the new information.the phrase always uses the preposition 'of' to connect to the following noun phrase.

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