May I know the reason you didn't ...

Question

HiCould you tell me if this sentence is natural?May I know the reason you didn't answer my question for?Thanks,Tom

Philip · Accepted Answer

~~for~~

It's a little formal, but fine.

Dimsumexpress · Answer

It'd sounds more natural to say: Could you tell me the reason why you didn't answer my question ...?"

Anonymous · Answer

May I know the reason you didn't answer my question ~~for~~?
Kill the for. I can not even figure out what it references to.

You could also say, "Can you tell me why you didn't answer my question?" Or, "I would like to know why you..." Same thing, more or less.

Philip · Answer

dimsumexpressIt'd sounds more natural to say: Could you tell me the reason ~~why~~ you didn't answer my question ...?"

Yes, it's more ~~natural~~ common, perhaps, but one of my pet peeves. The reason I went to the doctor's office was that I didn't feel well. [not why I went; not because I didn't feel well]

Dimsumexpress · Answer

PhilipThe reason I went to the doctor's office was that I didn't feel well. [not why I went; not because I didn't feel well]

Hi Philip,

Thank you for your comment. I don't feel so bad when many natives were also making the same mistake.

However, it indeed caused me to raise some doubts and curiosity as to whether what I thought I’ve learned and known all along was incorrect. So I did some searching and reading, and I still don’t know if the 58 million hits on “the usage of reason why” are also wrong. Please take a look at these links and feel to comment.

http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2009/06/theirs-not-to-reason-why.html

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x1910240

http://talkback.zdnet.com/5208-12354-0.html?forumID=1&threadID=70201&messageID=1347107

CalifJim · Answer

I have a different opinion.

The culprit is not the reason why. That's just like the time when, the thing that, the person who, and the place where.

The culprit is The reason is because, which should be The reason is that.

CJ

Dimsumexpress · Answer

Hi CJ,

So as a well regarded native English expert, would you say the usage in the links I posted was wrong?

I understand that we can also say “the reason that I hate driving at night is because I can’t see too well after dark”.

CalifJim · Answer

The explanation given in the first link is almost exactly what I said in my previous post, though there is some disagreement between the link and me about "reason is because".

The usages in the next two links are perfectly fine with me.

dimsumexpressthe reason that I hate driving at night is because I can’t see too well after dark

This one, in my opinion, should have is that I can't see .... The writer of your first link seems to think the structure with is because is so embedded in everyday usage that it has passed the point where it might be eradicated!

But reason is somewhat like cause already, to my ear:

The cause of my hating to drive at night is because I can't see too well after dark.

It seems to me that this says (inverted):

Because I can't see too well after dark is the cause of my hating to drive at night.

Whereas it seems to me that it would be more logical to say

(The fact) That I can't see too well after dark is the cause of my hating to drive at night.

Or, with reason:

(The fact) That I can't see too well after dark is the reason that I hate driving at night.
__________

Consider also that because means for the reason that, at least approximately:

I ate because I was hungry = I ate for the reason that I was hungry.

Therefore, the night driving example with because says:

I reason that I hate driving at night is for the reason that I can't see too well after dark.

That's weird, isn't it?

CJ

May I know the reason you didn't ...

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