Why is the reason

Begin or start? Beside or besides? Between or among? Born or borne? Bring , take and fetch Can , could or may? Classic or classical? Come or go? Consider or regard?

Consist , comprise or compose? Content or contents? Different from , different to or different than? Do or make? Down , downwards or downward? During or for? Each or every? East or eastern ; north or northern? Economic or economical? Efficient or effective?

Elder , eldest or older , oldest? End or finish? Especially or specially? Except or except for? Expect , hope or wait? Experience or experiment? Fall or fall down? Far or a long way? Farther , farthest or further , furthest?

Fast , quick or quickly? Fell or felt? Female or feminine ; male or masculine? Finally , at last , lastly or in the end? First , firstly or at first? Fit or suit? Following or the following? For or since? Forget or leave? Full or filled? Fun or funny? Get or go? Grateful or thankful?

Hear or listen to? High or tall? Historic or historical? House or home? How is …? If or when? If or whether? Ill or sick? Imply or infer? In the way or on the way? Late or lately? Lay or lie? Lend or borrow? Less or fewer? Look at , see or watch? Low or short? Man , mankind or people? Maybe or may be? Maybe or perhaps? Nearest or next?

Never or not … ever? Nice or sympathetic? No doubt or without doubt? No or not? Nowadays , these days or today? Open or opened? And in English, relative pronouns and adverbs are often omissible. That is, they have different syntactic functions because one is filling a role in the main clause, and the other is introducing a relative clause and connecting it to the main clause , but the relative pronoun or adverb refers to the other word anaphorically and thus means the same thing.

So just learn to be okay with reason why , until you can draw a sentence diagram that shows the relationship of why to the rest of the sentence. Thank them for the compliment. Splitting hairs is what editors do.

This is more of a place where I talk about arrant pedantry and other language-related things. Your email address will not be published. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.

Learn how your comment data is processed. May 8, Like this: Like Loading Jonathon Owen. Catterel May 8, BZ May 9, Jonathon Owen May 9, David C May 9, Alon May 10, David C May 10, Jonathon Owen May 12, David C: Well said.

John Roth May 13, Great post, Jonathon. I completely agree with you. Jonathon Owen May 22, Bill T December 17, David C December 17, Isaac April 1, Jonathon Owen April 19, Bill Meacham April 13, Jonathon Owen April 14, That was deliberate. Tony October 3, Jonathon Owen October 30, Mayokun March 19, The reason why semantic redundancy I exercise is to be active Reply. Jonathon Owen October 26, Daud Jacob July 3, If you aren't comfortable using the phrase, or feel that it's awkward, don't use it.

But maybe lay off the criticism of others—there's really no argument against it. The phrase may grate on your nerves along with "the reason why is because" , but it puts people who apply it in some very distinguished literary company.

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Log in Sign Up. More Words At Play. Merriam-Webster's Words of the Week - Oct. Homophones, Homographs, and Homonyms. Time Traveler. Love words? Need even more definitions? Ask the Editors 'Everyday' vs. What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'?

How 'literally' can mean "figuratively". Literally How to use a word that literally drives some pe Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?