I. noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a likely cause/reason
▪
the likely cause of the accident
a sound reason
▪
Both these buyers have sound reasons for their choice.
an obvious reason
▪
The plan, for obvious reasons, was being kept secret.
be grounds/cause/reason for optimism
▪
The lower crime figures are certainly grounds for optimism.
be/go beyond the bounds of credibility/reason/decency etc
▪
The humor in the movie sometimes goes beyond the bounds of good taste.
chief reason
▪
The chief reason for this is that people are living longer.
cogent argument/reason/case etc
▪
a cogent argument for banning the drug
commercial considerations/reasons/purposes
▪
Commercial considerations must come second to conservation of the environment.
common sense prevails/reason prevails (= a sensible decision is made )
▪
He considered lying, but then common sense prevailed.
every reason
▪
We have every reason to believe that the operation will be a success.
for no apparent reason
▪
He left suddenly, for no apparent reason .
for personal reasons
▪
The company’s chief executive has resigned for personal reasons.
for purely political reasons
▪
a decision made for purely political reasons
for safety reasons ( also for safety’s sake ) (= in order to make something safe )
▪
For safety reasons visitors won’t be able to go down the tunnels.
for security reasons
▪
He can’t be identified for security reasons.
for sentimental reasons
▪
He wasn’t the sort of person who kept things for sentimental reasons .
For some inexplicable reason,
▪
For some inexplicable reason, he felt depressed.
For some strange reason
▪
For some strange reason , I slept like a baby despite the noise.
For some unaccountable reason
▪
For some unaccountable reason , he arrived a day early.
For some unknown reason
▪
For some unknown reason , Mark quit his job and moved to Greece.
for various reasons
▪
He decided to leave school for various reasons .
For...obscure reason
▪
For some obscure reason , the group is very popular.
have (good) reason to complain
▪
We felt we had good reason to complain about the food at the hotel.
have little/no reason to complain
▪
The school is good and parents have little reason to complain.
humanitarian grounds/reasons/purposes
▪
He was released from prison on humanitarian grounds.
line of argument/reasoning/inquiry etc
▪
It seemed useless to pursue this line of questioning.
▪
Opposition parties soon realized they would have to try a different line of attack.
listen to reason (= accept sensible advice )
▪
She refused to listen to reason .
no particular reason
▪
For no particular reason , he quit the job.
ostensible reason/purpose/aim
▪
The ostensible reason for his resignation was ill health.
powerful reasons/arguments (= reasons that make you think that something must be true )
put forward a reason/explanation
▪
A variety of reasons have been put forward to explain these changes.
real reason
▪
What was the real reason you quit your job?
reason why
▪
There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be friends.
reason
▪
I had a perfectly valid reason for being there.
see reason/sense (= realize that you are wrong or doing something stupid )
▪
I just can’t get her to see reason!
tactical reasons
▪
Two players were substituted for tactical reasons .
the fundamental reason
▪
The fundamental reason for the project’s failure was the lack of funds.
the sole reason
▪
His sole reason for calling was to shower abuse upon me.
the underlying cause/reason
▪
Stress is the underlying cause of many illnesses.
There’s no reason to suppose (= it is unlikely that )
▪
There’s no reason to suppose he’s lying.
this/that very reason
▪
I want everyone to be able to cook my recipes, so for that very reason I chose inexperienced cooks to test them.
time/reason/trouble etc enough old-fashioned
▪
Come on – there’ll be time enough to chat later.
within reason (= within reasonable limits )
▪
You can go anywhere you want within reason .
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
good
▪
All in all, I think I have good reason to hate her.
▪
But it was also because caregivers were reluctant, sometimes for good reason , to bear bad news.
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There is, therefore, good reason to believe the Shingle Street story is true.
▪
Johnson is perhaps the most businesslike member of the U. S. Olympic team, with good reason .
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But I don't like it here, and I've good reason for going.
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They come here for good reason .
▪
Nixon believed to his dying day, and with good reason , that Kennedy had stolen the contest, especially in Illinois.
▪
When my kids withdraw from my questions, they usually have a good reason for doing so.
legal
▪
The girl, who can not be named for legal reasons , had been left alone when a friend went home.
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This is for legal reasons , to prevent a suit.
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The child, who can not be named for legal reasons , was staying with her grandparents in south Devon.
▪
Loretta guessed there were legal reasons for the terse nature of the item.
▪
The girl, who can not be named for legal reasons , was then led out the back door of the court.
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The names can not be published for legal reasons .
▪
The woman, who can not be named for legal reasons , wants the circumstances of her children's care proceedings examined.
main
▪
The technique is used for three main reasons .
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Keeping churches open is the main reason nonpriests are overseeing an increasing number of parishes.
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The final section is the expedition, the main reason why people do the award scheme.
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Four out of five girls aged 12 to 14 said peer pressure was the main reason to begin smoking.
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The main reason is the shortage of real attractions.
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The main reason why pensioners are in this plight is the Tory Government's decision in 1980.
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One of the main reasons on the pitch was our inability to convert opportunities.
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The main reason lay in the rising level of interest repayments home owners had to make.
major
▪
The hope of finding wild trees with natural resistance was a major reason for collecting wild cocoa in the Upper Amazon.
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The major reason for this was that there were far fewer people to put in them.
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The major reason is that ideas in politics are not just academic.
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There is one major reason for this: The governors are far more popular than congressional Republicans.
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He had no doubt that a major reason was drink or, sometimes, gambling.
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One major reason stems from the relative urgency of working capital decisions.
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This is another major reason for the inadequate views of doubt among Christians.
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A second major reason for the importance of working capital management is the size of the working capital accounts.
obvious
▪
For obvious reasons , her reaction to Moira's death was the one that interested me most.
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But it is not a dream that is likely to come true, though perhaps not for the obvious reason .
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For obvious reasons , the tenants absolve the local authority of responsibility.
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Football fans were smiling for obvious reasons .
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For obvious reasons , the person with minimal education who wrote to a radio station was an exception.
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A tradition of exclusion, no less despicable for being time-honored, is one obvious reason .
▪
ANTI-SOCIAL Friends were having repeated trouble with their telephone, for which there seemed to be no obvious reason .
▪
For obvious reasons Jim could not conduct a public courtship, and so he learned to make a secret of his movements.
only
▪
The only reason Janine had cheered up was because she was taking her child from her.
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The only possible reason for your unwarranted interference is boredom!
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It's the only reason you've been allowed to stay on.
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That's the only reason I slunk out of that place!
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The only reason you want custody of Kirsty is so you can get your hands on her inheritance.
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The only reason must be the absence of a family.
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The only reason I ever kept on that bloody flat was for Dandy to have somewhere to come back to.
▪
The frequency-dependence in the advantage of unrestrained fighting is probably not the only reason why natural fighting is restrained.
personal
▪
However, she will also have to deal with pressures from her own colleagues who are seeking special consideration for personal reasons .
▪
In all such cases express personal and professional reasons for its study.
▪
We have separated for personal reasons .
▪
Williams flew from Austin back to California on Friday for personal reasons .
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He succeeds Ray Nakano, 49, who left the company several months ago for personal reasons , a company spokesman said.
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Ten participants completed the course successfully, one leaving for personal reasons .
▪
As the Gay situation unraveled, reserve guard Charlie Taylor was granted an indefinite leave of absence for personal reasons .
simple
▪
Stockbrokers, politicians and company chairmen hanker after retail investors for the same, simple reason: they think they are chumps.
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For one very simple reason , my friend.
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And it comes first for one simple reason: civilization rolls on wheels, and lathes make wheels.
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It failed for the simple reason that no coherent principles or policies came forward to replace the old ones.
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He has often done anything and everything that was necessary to win games for a simple reason -- he could.
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It was not something which occurred all that often for the simple reason that he did not have the wherewithal.
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It is going to take off for the simple reason that everybody, with the fundamentalists in the lead, wants change.
■ VERB
give
▪
In it she asked him to come home, but she did not give a reason .
▪
She gave me no reason to hope, and the integrity that fueled her principles only made my position worse.
▪
So, giving reasons for our thoughts and actions does not perhaps have the solidity and universality that we might believe.
▪
It did not give a clear reason .
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Of course no one gave that as a reason - except for Abie Klugman, and poor Abie didn't really count.
▪
She says she might oppose the final annexation plan if given enough reason .
▪
It gives me a reason for staying.
▪
The Supreme Court gave no reason for declining to hear the case.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
circular argument/logic/reasoning
▪
Clearly the more elaborate the dress, the more dress-fasteners required, although there is here the danger of a circular argument.
▪
Failure to recognize this leads to circular arguments.
▪
Pupils can often fall back on a circular argument such as: Why is the relationship linear?
▪
The Court refused to allow itself to be caught in a circular argument as to which State needed to waive immunity first.
▪
The irony in all this is the circular logic of what appears to be the new strategic competition.
▪
This appears to be a circular argument, typical of closed-belief systems.
▪
We start by talking about a problem of circular reasoning to motivate the diagram.
compelling reason/argument/case etc
▪
Barring a compelling reason, governments should not discriminate between classes of citizens.
▪
But there are a number of compelling reasons to stand in line.
▪
But, in any event, there is no compelling reason to justify section 9.
▪
He was energetic, headstrong, and unorthodox-and he had compelling reasons for reducing the ruinously expensive Soviet nuclear arsenal.
▪
However, it is necessary to say a word or two here to refute this seemingly compelling argument.
▪
In the high-visibility, emotionally compelling cases such as maternity stays, an uproar resulted.
▪
The record is good but there is no compelling reason to buy.
▪
Unless there are other compelling reasons, therefore, never borrow money yourself to obtain funds needed by your corporation.
it stands to reason (that)
▪
But the important decisions ... well, it stands to reason that these would be the sole responsibility of the man.
▪
Well, it stands to reason, doesn't it?
▪
Well, it sounds a very obvious thing for us to say - but it stands to reason.
no earthly reason/use etc
▪
As far as I could tell, there was no earthly reason for Fanshawe to have chosen me for this job.
▪
It serves no earthly use to recapitulate the damage that they do, and which we know they do.
▪
Surely there's no earthly reason why you should not come with me to mass?
▪
There is no earthly reason why I shouldn't be able to move like these young athletes.
▪
There seemed to be no earthly reason for the Bureau to resist such status-but it did.
no rhyme or reason
▪
It claims that there is no rhyme or reason to stock-market investment.
▪
There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the colors.
the voice of reason/experience etc
▪
However, while the voice of reason is presently peripheral, its steady hum may well be heard.
▪
It was the voice of reason.
▪
Sadly the voices of reason are overwhelmed or ignored, even though in the long-term they are safer guardians of our values.
▪
Satan does not realise that real freedom is found in obeying the voice of reason.
▪
Whereas Ian would be resourceful and brave, Barbara would be the voice of reason, relating their experiences in human terms.
▪
You could not hear the voice of reason, only the terrible curiosity, insisting that it be satisfied.
valid reason/argument/criticism etc
▪
A 1977 Supreme Court ruling permits police stopping a car for valid reasons to order drivers to exit.
▪
A second and equally valid argument is that the publishing world is an invaluable source of knowledge.
▪
Accepting criticism Accepting valid criticism is also part of this group of assertive actions.
▪
But a complete justification of authority has to do more than to provide valid reasons for its acceptance.
▪
But neither do we have to be defensive if they occasionally have a valid criticism.
▪
But there are also valid reasons for optimism.
▪
No serious thinker can make a valid argument that to discriminate based on species is acceptable.
▪
Povert drudgery and loneliness are valid reasons for sadness; beyond and beneath, far outreaching them all, is unrequited love.
with the best of intentions/for the best of reasons
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
"Why are you helping her?" "She asked me to. That's the only reason ."
▪
Can anyone explain the reason for the delay?
▪
Dad went off to find out the reason for the delay.
▪
For reasons best known to themselves, my parents were vehemently opposed to the idea.
▪
For security reasons, there were video cameras at the school entrance.
▪
I can think of lots of reasons to get married.
▪
In times of war, reason can give way to racism.
▪
No, he isn't here - he had to go back to Poland for some reason .
▪
One of the main reasons that she looks so good is that she has her own personal stylist.
▪
Political negotiation always involves a balance between reason and force.
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The reason why the economy is growing more slowly is a lack of workers.
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The reason why we need these laws is to protect children from violent adults.
▪
The main reason she quit is that she was not being paid enough.
▪
The real reason we weren't getting along wasn't so simple.
▪
The school is proud of its record, and with good reason .
▪
There's no reason to doubt what she says.
▪
There's no reason why Jon can't come with us.
▪
There were two reasons behind the company's failure.
▪
We have every reason to believe he is guilty.
▪
What was your reason for leaving your last job?
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
As a result of these findings Glaxo stopped clinical trials comparing ranitidine with omeprazole for ethical reasons.
▪
He couldn't provide the money, but for some reason they accepted his guarantee.
▪
One reason that computer books have improved and increased is that ownership and awareness of computers has grown.
▪
The changes are about how to discipline and the reasons for requiring obedience to certain rules.
▪
There's always a reason to have a good laugh.
▪
There is no reason at all, however, why such states should endure for ever.
▪
This may be one reason for the diversity in the experiences of drinkers.
▪
This unlikely concoction was one of the more important pharmacological advances in the history of medicine, albeit for the wrong reasons.
II. verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
why
▪
He goes on to outline the areas of concern and reasons why they had not been dealt with.
▪
There is no important theory-based reason why these countries rather than others were selected.
▪
There are, of course, good reasons why the control of human behavior is resisted.
▪
This points to still another reason why minimizing is an ineffective means of dealing with ongoing costs.
▪
Ordinarily, these facts would be recited by Gore as reasons why he should succeed to the top job.
▪
There are three basic reasons why leaders are important.
▪
Any reason why it had to be filled?
▪
Despite these powerful arguments against mutual funds, there are still reasons why it makes sense for ordinary investors to own them.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
circular argument/logic/reasoning
▪
Clearly the more elaborate the dress, the more dress-fasteners required, although there is here the danger of a circular argument.
▪
Failure to recognize this leads to circular arguments.
▪
Pupils can often fall back on a circular argument such as: Why is the relationship linear?
▪
The Court refused to allow itself to be caught in a circular argument as to which State needed to waive immunity first.
▪
The irony in all this is the circular logic of what appears to be the new strategic competition.
▪
This appears to be a circular argument, typical of closed-belief systems.
▪
We start by talking about a problem of circular reasoning to motivate the diagram.
compelling reason/argument/case etc
▪
Barring a compelling reason, governments should not discriminate between classes of citizens.
▪
But there are a number of compelling reasons to stand in line.
▪
But, in any event, there is no compelling reason to justify section 9.
▪
He was energetic, headstrong, and unorthodox-and he had compelling reasons for reducing the ruinously expensive Soviet nuclear arsenal.
▪
However, it is necessary to say a word or two here to refute this seemingly compelling argument.
▪
In the high-visibility, emotionally compelling cases such as maternity stays, an uproar resulted.
▪
The record is good but there is no compelling reason to buy.
▪
Unless there are other compelling reasons, therefore, never borrow money yourself to obtain funds needed by your corporation.
no earthly reason/use etc
▪
As far as I could tell, there was no earthly reason for Fanshawe to have chosen me for this job.
▪
It serves no earthly use to recapitulate the damage that they do, and which we know they do.
▪
Surely there's no earthly reason why you should not come with me to mass?
▪
There is no earthly reason why I shouldn't be able to move like these young athletes.
▪
There seemed to be no earthly reason for the Bureau to resist such status-but it did.
no rhyme or reason
▪
It claims that there is no rhyme or reason to stock-market investment.
▪
There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the colors.
the voice of reason/experience etc
▪
However, while the voice of reason is presently peripheral, its steady hum may well be heard.
▪
It was the voice of reason.
▪
Sadly the voices of reason are overwhelmed or ignored, even though in the long-term they are safer guardians of our values.
▪
Satan does not realise that real freedom is found in obeying the voice of reason.
▪
Whereas Ian would be resourceful and brave, Barbara would be the voice of reason, relating their experiences in human terms.
▪
You could not hear the voice of reason, only the terrible curiosity, insisting that it be satisfied.
valid reason/argument/criticism etc
▪
A 1977 Supreme Court ruling permits police stopping a car for valid reasons to order drivers to exit.
▪
A second and equally valid argument is that the publishing world is an invaluable source of knowledge.
▪
Accepting criticism Accepting valid criticism is also part of this group of assertive actions.
▪
But a complete justification of authority has to do more than to provide valid reasons for its acceptance.
▪
But neither do we have to be defensive if they occasionally have a valid criticism.
▪
But there are also valid reasons for optimism.
▪
No serious thinker can make a valid argument that to discriminate based on species is acceptable.
▪
Povert drudgery and loneliness are valid reasons for sadness; beyond and beneath, far outreaching them all, is unrequited love.
with the best of intentions/for the best of reasons
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
A third element came on the scene: all believers who are capable of reasoning.
▪
Admittedly they were only nineteen, but surely, he reasoned, there must be more to married life than this?
▪
As children develop affectively, parallel changes can be observed in their moral reasoning.
▪
If we can do it, they can do it, the reasoning goes.
▪
These factors influence not only cognitive reasoning but also affective reasoning.
▪
They, too, reasoned that Death, having gorged itself on their neighbours, would have long since moved on.