Cos, cos of

Cos 是 because 的簡寫,發 /kəz/ 或 /kɒz/ 的音,也可以拼成 ’cause。它可用來取代 because,而 cos of 則可取代 because of。我們經常在講話、電子郵件和簡訊中,尤其是在非正式情況中,使用 cos 和 cos of。

Cos 和 cos of 的用法與 because 和 because of 一樣。換言之,cos 後接子句,而 cos of 後接名詞、動名詞或名詞片語。當 cos 引導的原因 (附屬) 子句位在主要子句的前面時,其後通常使用逗點來與主要子句隔開。然而,儘管 because of 這個介系詞片語可放在句首或句末,但 cos of 卻不常用在句首。例如:

  • Mary is absent cos she is ill. (瑪麗因病缺席)
  • Cos he was so tired, he went to bed at 8 pm. (由於很疲憊,他八點就上床睡覺了)
  • John cannot go to work cos of sickness. (約翰因病不能上班)
  • Because of the storm I canceled the business trip to Taipei. (因為暴風雨,我取消了到台北出差)
    = Because of the storm, I canceled the business trip to Taipei.
    = I canceled the business trip to Taipei because of the storm.
    = I canceled the business trip to Taipei cos of the storm.