Examples of circumstantial complement of cause

The vast majority of sentences contain among their constituent elements the so-called circumstantial complements. These complements add detailed information about how the subject carries out the action indicated by the verb. Although circumstantial complements are not strictly necessary to understand the full meaning of the sentence, they do provide useful information about how the verbal action.

Among the many circumstantial complements that exist in Spanish, in this lesson from a teacher we are going to explain some examples of circumstantial complement of cause (CCC) to make it easier for you to understand the explanation of this type of circumstantial complements.

To specifically detail the motive behind the verbal action the circumstantial complement of cause is used. In order to identify it, we must ask the verb why? Below, you will find several examples of circumstantial complement of cause analyzed to make it easier to understand this explanation:

• I can't go to your birthday party because i work. - Why can't I go to your birthday party?

"Because I work" is the circumstantial complement of cause.

• Faculty is closed due to the student strike. - ¿Why is the school closed?

"Due to the student strike" is the circumstantial complement of cause.

As you may have observed, the circumstantial complement of cause it is usually introduced by a series of specific particles. In the previous examples we find "because" and "because of". In addition to these two, some of the most frequent structures when indicating the cause of something are: "because of", "because of", "because of" or "thanks to", among others. Let's see how they work through a few more examples:

• My mother punished my little brother for breaking the porcelain vase.
• I don't like red pepper because it repeats me.
• Thanks to the increase in salary, Juan will be able to buy a new house.
• Our grandfather is admitted to the hospital because of a fall.
• I have not slept well due to the cold.

As it is a circumstantial complement, it can be placed anywhere within the sentence. Thus, we observe that, in some previous sentences, the circumstantial complement of cause appears at the end of the sentence (I do not like red pepper because it repeats me) or it can be placed at the beginning of the sentence (Thanks to the increase in salary, Juan will be able to buy a new house).

Another characteristic that differentiates the circumstantial complement of cause from the rest of the complements circumstantial is that this cannot be an adverb since in Spanish there are no adverbs of cause themselves. For this reason, the circumstantial complement of cause is usually introduced through a prepositional phrase or through an adverbial phrase. Here are some examples of circumstantial complement of cause:

• I bought this jacket for 20 euros.
• Everyone loves your mother because she is so loving.
• Yesterday we couldn't go to the beach because it was raining.
• On the occasion of their 10th anniversary, my parents organized a family meal.
• There is poor visibility on the road due to fog.
• I went out for a walk because I was bored at home.
• I have managed to pass the exam thanks to the help of the teacher.
• Due to the storm, the power went out in the entire street.
• By dint of hard work, I get the promotion.
• I left the party early because I was bored.