use of due to/ sentence structure

Question

Hi, I have the following question.A friend of mine told me that due to always has to be preceded and followed by a noun, but is the following sentence not correct?"Due to my aspirations for vindication, it instantly seemed to be a sterling idea."Thanks!

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Here is the actual rule, which is no longer universally accepted:

The American Heritage® Book of English Usage.
A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English. 1996.
3. Word Choice: New Uses, Common Confusion, and Constraints

§ 107. due to

'Due to' has been widely used for many years as a compound preposition like 'owing to', but some critics have insisted that 'due' should be used only as an adjective. According to this view, it is incorrect to say 'The concert was canceled due to the rain' but acceptable to say 'The cancellation of the concert was due to the rain', where 'due' continues to function as an adjective modifying 'cancellation'. This seems a fine point, however, and since 'due to' is widely used and understood, there seems little reason to avoid using it as a preposition.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you, it is a fair point. Is 'because of' more appropriately in that sentence?

Mister Micawber · Answer

Anonymous Is 'because of' more appropriately in that sentence?

Yes, that is usually a safer choice.

Anonymous · Answer

more appropriate*

use of due to/ sentence structure

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