be the cause of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'be the cause of' is correct and can be used in written English.
It is typically used to mean 'to be responsible for, to cause, or to be the reason for [something].' Example: The factory's toxic waste is believed to be the cause of the fish dying in the river.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

51 human-written examples

This had to be the cause of her motions.

The New York Times - Magazine

What could be the cause of the anemia?

The New York Times - Health

"He likes to be the cause of the conflict.

The New York Times - Books

Engine trouble, not hostile fire, was believed to be the cause of the crash.

The New York Times

The autopsy found an irregular heartbeat to be the cause of Ms. Guenther's death.

The New York Times

Police say arson is unlikely to be the cause of the fire.

The Guardian

I don't want to be the cause of someone feeling like that.

The New York Times - Sports

As the authors point out, deliberate cuckolding may not always be the cause of paternal discrepancy.

The Guardian

"All I wanted was... to be the cause of something remarkable," she tells him.

The New Yorker

His apparent failure to do so must be the cause of his cynicism about Rutgers students.

The New York Times

I didn't want to be the cause of that pain to the people I'm closest to.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Ensure the noun following 'of' describes a specific event, state, or phenomenon, such as 'the crash' or 'the outbreak'.

Common error

While often interchangeable, use "be the cause of" for physical or direct scientific causality and "be the reason for" when discussing human motivations or logical justifications.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "be the cause of" functions as a complex predicate consisting of the linking verb 'to be', a noun phrase 'the cause', and a prepositional phrase 'of...'. According to Ludwig AI, it serves as a semantic bridge to establish a direct causal link between a subject and a specific noun-based effect.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

45%

News & Media

35%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Social Media

3%

Informal Conversation

2%

Poetry

0.5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "be the cause of" is a highly reliable and grammatically correct way to indicate direct causality. Ludwig AI data shows its pervasive use in formal reporting and academic research, particularly for diagnosing the origins of problems, diseases, or events. While it is synonymous with verbs like "lead to" or "result in", it is uniquely effective when the writer needs to emphasize the specific agent or factor as the definite origin point. It is a staple of clear, objective English prose.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

lead to

Focuses on the progression or sequence of events resulting in an outcome.

result in

Emphasizes the final consequence or state achieved.

be responsible for

Implies agency or a specific factor being the primary agent of change.

be the reason for

Often used for explanations or justifications rather than physical causality.

give rise to

A more formal expression suggesting the origin or birth of a situation.

bring about

Suggests active initiation of a change or event.

underlie

Indicates a root or foundational cause that may not be immediately obvious.

trigger

Suggests an immediate or precipitating cause for a sudden event.

account for

Often used in scientific or statistical contexts to explain a portion of a result.

contribute to

Suggests the factor is one of several causes rather than the sole cause.

FAQs

How do I use "be the cause of" in a sentence?

You can use it to link a subject to its effect, for example: "High winds were found to "be the cause of" the power outage."

What is the difference between "be the cause of" and "result in"?

While both indicate causality, "be the cause of" identifies the source, whereas "result in" focuses on the final outcome or consequence.

Is "be the cause of" formal enough for scientific writing?

Yes, it is widely used in scientific journals to describe pathological or physical links, though researchers sometimes prefer "account for" or "underlie" for more precision.

Can I use "be the cause of" for positive events?

It is grammatically correct but stylistically rare; usually, we use "be responsible for" or "be the source of" for positive outcomes.