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A bench for making friends: because and so for reasons and results

Students learn because and so, the words for a reason and a result, in an A2 ESL lesson plan about school buddy benches.

Grammar
Because + the reason and so + the result (He was lonely, so he sat on the bench.), a comma before so, Because… to open a sentence, and Why…? Because… answers.
Topic
The buddy bench, which a young student in York, Pennsylvania, brought to his school in 2013, and recess words such as lonely, include and classmate.
Activities
A school newsletter, a recess dialogue and a voice message, drills checked instantly, a chat about the student's own school days, and a spin wheel of reasons and results to finish.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Recess time!

    • PictureUnlock
    • Open a box and answer: school and friendsOpen the boxUnlock
    • Study the words: at recessVocabularyTry it
    • Look at the pictures and chooseChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2Let's read: a York story

    • Look at the photo: a buddy benchPictureUnlock
    • Read the school newsletterReal-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read again and choose the correct answerQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: Biscuit makes friends

    • Listen to Marco and Joanne at recessListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and choose the correct answerQuizUnlock
    • Listen to Grandpa's ChallengeListeningUnlock
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen to Grandpa again and choose the correct answerQuizUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Grammar: because and so

    • Study the scheme: because and soGrammar schemeTry it
    • Choose because or soChoose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps: reason or result?Fill in the gapsTry it
    • Drag the words into the gaps: Why? Because!Drag and dropUnlock
    • Choose the correct answerQuizUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk: why? because!

    • Choose the right replies: Nora's questionsChatTry it
    • Spin the wheel and answer: reasons and resultsSpin the wheelUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Match the pairs: words and meaningsMatchUnlock
    • Unscramble the words: school and friendsAnagramUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps: the new wordsFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Put the words in the correct orderUnjumbleUnlock
    • Choose the correct optionChoose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the table: because or so?Fill in the tableUnlock
    • Drag the words into the gaps: a viewer's storyDrag and dropUnlock
    • Choose the correct option: Nora's message to GrandpaChoose the optionUnlock

29 exercises in 6 chapters. Start a 7-day free trial to open all of them, copy any part into your own lessons, and teach the lesson live.

Vocabulary

10 words and phrases from the lesson, each with a picture and audio in edio.

+7 more with pictures and audio in the lessonMore words

  • recess
  • playground
  • lonely
  • classmate
  • tag
  • assembly
  • conversation

Grammar: because for reasons, so for results

Because and so join two facts when one causes the other: in cause-and-effect terms, because brings in the cause and so the effect. A bench made for lonely children gives both words plenty to do. Learners tell the reason from the result, put a comma before so, start with Because when they like and answer Why questions.

He was lonely, so he sat on the bench.

because + the reason: it answers Why? so + the result: it says what happened next.

Because + the reason

Because introduces the reason, which answers the question Why? He sat on the bench because he was lonely. We stayed inside because it was rainy. In the middle of a sentence, no comma comes before because.

What happenedbecauseThe reason (Why?)

He sat on the bench because he was lonely.

The kids ran over because they noticed Biscuit.

…, so + the result

So introduces the result, what happened next: He was lonely, so he sat on the bench. A comma goes before so, and the two halves swap places: with so, the reason comes first.

The reasonsoThe result

He was lonely, so he sat on the bench.

The kids noticed Biscuit, so they ran over.

Why…? Because…

A short answer to Why can start with Because: Why is the bench in the middle? – Because everybody can see it there. In a written sentence, though, there's no period before because: We stayed inside because it was rainy, not We stayed inside. Because it was rainy.

Why…? Because…

QuestionAnswer
Why did Christian talk to the principal?Because some classmates were lonely.
Why is the bench in the middle?Because everybody can see it there.
Why did Biscuit sit on the bench?Because he wanted friends and snacks!

In writing

Don't put a period before because. ✗ We stayed inside. Because it was rainy. ✓ We stayed inside because it was rainy. A short answer to a Why question can start with Because: Why did you stay inside? – Because it was rainy.

Because at the start, and the comma

Because can open a sentence, with a comma after the reason: Because it was rainy, we stayed inside. Then the sentence takes no so: Because he was lonely, so he sat on the bench is a mistake.

Commas

Put a comma before so: It was rainy, so we stayed inside. Usually no comma before because in the middle: We stayed inside because it was rainy. You can also start with Because + the reason + a comma: Because it was rainy, we stayed inside. Then don't add so!

Common mistakes

  • Because he was lonely, so he sat on the bench.

    Because he was lonely, he sat on the bench.

    because or so, never both

  • He sat on the bench so because he was lonely.

    He sat on the bench because he was lonely.

    not so because: just because

  • He sat on the bench. Because he was lonely.

    He sat on the bench because he was lonely.

    in writing: no period before because

  • He sat on the bench, so he was lonely.

    He sat on the bench because he was lonely.

    the reason comes after because, the result after so

More lessons on this grammar: Linking words lessons and exercises

Try the because and so exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

More exercises

What's in the lesson

  • 16 auto-checked exercises
  • 4 games
  • 1 real-life document
  • 1 grammar scheme
  • 1 set of word cards
  • 2 audio clips
  • 2 pictures
  • 2 transcripts

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • give a reason with because: He sat on the bench because he was lonely.
  • give a result with so, after a comma: It was rainy, so we had recess in the gym.
  • start a sentence with Because and leave out so: Because it was rainy, we stayed inside.
  • ask and answer Why questions: Why is the bench in the middle? – Because everybody can see it there.

In English A2.1 · Then and Now, lesson 28 is the last of four in unit 7, Neighbors and community. It builds on and, but and or, which joined words and sentences in lesson 31 of English A1.2 · Out and About, and adds two words that tie a reason to a result. Story linkers such as suddenly and in the end follow in A2.2 lesson 12. A bench that exists because children feel lonely gives every sentence a why.

Boxes of questions about school and friends start things off, and the word cards add recess, lonely, include and assembly, each with a picture and audio. A school newsletter tells how a young student in York brought the buddy bench to America after seeing a picture of one at a German school. Marco and Joanne, a second-grade teacher, talk at recess in the first listening, and Grandpa's message brings a new challenge in the second, with AI voices in both. After the scheme, four drills give instant feedback, including a gap-fill that links each pair of sentences with because or so. Students then answer Nora's questions about their school days in a chat and spin a wheel that asks for reasons and results.

Homework is eight tasks that check themselves: word work first (meanings, an anagram, gaps for the new words), then word order, two choices between because and so, a table that joins first and second halves, and a viewer's story with drag-and-drop gaps.

Grammar:
because · so · reason and result · Why…? Because…
Topic:
the buddy bench · York, Pennsylvania · recess · school · making friends · cooties

Teaching tips

  • Write two facts on the board, such as It was rainy and We stayed inside, and have students join them both ways: with so after the reason, with because after the result.
  • Ask about recess before the newsletter: what did students play, and was anyone ever alone? The newsletter then explains how a buddy bench helps.
  • Sort what students hear in the recess dialogue: on a second listening, they note each sentence with so or because and mark which half is the reason and which the result.
  • Spin the wheel in pairs and add a follow-up: after I love my favorite food because…, the partner asks Why? again, and the speaker gives a second reason.

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The whole course: English A2.1 · Then and Now

32 lessons for adults at A2 in simple American English, from the past simple to going to, should and might. Eight units tell stories of journeys, American firsts, food, places, sports, music, neighbors and dreams. Pictures and definitions replace translations, and the practice exercises check themselves.See the course

  1. Unit 1 Amazing journeys

    the past simple, regular and irregular verbs, negatives, prepositions of movement

    1. Lesson 1Around the world in 72 daysThe past simple of regular verbs
    2. Lesson 2The first drive across AmericaIrregular verbs in the past simple
    3. Lesson 3Get your kicks on Route 66Past simple negatives with didn't
    4. Lesson 4She walked 2,000 miles in sneakersPrepositions of movement

  2. Unit 2 American firsts

    was and were, past questions and short answers, ago and in, could for past ability

    1. Lesson 5The first American woman in spaceWas, were, there was and there were
    2. Lesson 6A real bug in the computerPast simple questions with did
    3. Lesson 7“Mr. Watson, come here”Wh- questions in the past simple
    4. Lesson 8Twelve seconds in the airCould and couldn't for past ability

  3. Unit 3 American food

    countable and uncountable nouns, comparatives, ordering food, a few and a little

    1. Lesson 9The first chocolate chip cookieCountable and uncountable nouns in a recipe
    2. Lesson 10Is a jalapeño hotter than a habanero?Comparatives of short adjectives
    3. Lesson 11Two eggs, sunny side up!Offers and orders with would like
    4. Lesson 12Cooking for twenty on ThanksgivingA few, a little and a lot of

  4. Unit 4 City or country?

    comparatives with more and less, superlatives, as … as, too and enough

    1. Lesson 13The island with no carsComparatives with more and less, plus better, worse and farther
    2. Lesson 14America's extremesSuperlatives with the + -est, the most and the least
    3. Lesson 15San Francisco or Yosemite? You choose!As … as for the same, not as … as for less
    4. Lesson 16A park on an old railroadToo, enough and not … enough

  5. Unit 5 Game on

    play, go and do with sports, going to, adverbs of manner, reflexive pronouns

    1. Lesson 17Basketball started with peach baskets?Play, go and do with sports
    2. Lesson 18What's going to happen at LA 2028?Be going to for plans and predictions
    3. Lesson 19Pickleball: a game from a backyardAdverbs of manner
    4. Lesson 20Be brave and tryReflexive pronouns and each other

  6. Unit 6 Music and nights out

    love, enjoy and hate + -ing, the present continuous for plans, suggestions, to for purpose

    1. Lesson 21Where jazz was bornGerunds after love, like, enjoy, hate and don't mind
    2. Lesson 22Music on every streetThe present continuous for future arrangements
    3. Lesson 23A night on BroadwaySuggestions with Let's, Why don't we and How about
    4. Lesson 24An orchestra for every kidThe infinitive of purpose and to or for

  7. Unit 7 Neighbors and community

    much and many, should, something and everyone, because and so

    1. Lesson 25Everybody cleans up!Much and many with nouns you can and can't count
    2. Lesson 26Good neighbors shovel snowShould and shouldn't + the base verb
    3. Lesson 27Take a book, leave a bookIndefinite pronouns with some-, any-, no- and every-
    4. Lesson 28 · you're hereA bench for making friendsBecause for reasons, so for results

  8. Unit 8 Plans and dreams

    verb + to, the present continuous vs going to, might, when, before and after

    1. Lesson 29Never give up: from farm fields to spaceVerb + to + the base form
    2. Lesson 30Across America by trainGoing to and the present continuous for the future
    3. Lesson 31Open in the year 6939Might and might not for possibility
    4. Lesson 32A college graduate at 95Time clauses with when, before and after

Questions about this lesson

How do you show cause and effect in English?
The two basic words are because for the cause and so for the effect: He sat on the bench because he was lonely. He was lonely, so he sat on the bench. Both sentences say the same thing from opposite ends. A Why question asks for the cause, and Because… answers it. The A2 lesson A bench for making friends on edio.ai builds both around a school buddy bench.
What's the difference between so and because?
Because comes before the reason; so comes before the result. That's why the two halves swap: It was rainy, so we stayed inside means the same as We stayed inside because it was rainy. Swapping only the word changes the meaning: He sat on the bench, so he was lonely says that sitting there made him lonely.
How do you use because and so with commas?
Put a comma before so, but usually not before because: It was rainy, so we stayed inside. We stayed inside because it was rainy. Both are conjunctions, but so joins two equal sentences, while because makes the reason part of the main one. When Because starts the sentence, the comma moves to the end of the reason: Because it was rainy, we stayed inside.
Does because introduce the reason or the result?
Because always introduces the reason, the part that answers a Why question, and so introduces the result. Test it with a question: Why did he tell the principal? – Because some classmates were lonely. If the words answer What happened next? instead, you need so: Some classmates were lonely, so he told the principal.
Can you start a sentence with because?
Yes, with a comma after the reason: Because it was rainy, we stayed inside. A short answer to a Why question can start with it too: Why did you stay inside? – Because it was rainy. What doesn't work in writing is a period before because in the middle of a thought, as in We stayed inside. Because it was rainy. The scheme of A bench for making friends on edio.ai warns against it.
Can you use because and so in the same sentence?
No: a sentence takes because or so, never both. Because he was lonely, so he sat on the bench is a mistake; drop one word: Because he was lonely, he sat on the bench, or He was lonely, so he sat on the bench. So because is wrong too. In the chat of A bench for making friends, an A2 lesson on edio.ai, several wrong replies use both words.
Is it "because" or "because of"?
Use because + subject and verb, because of + a noun: We stayed inside because it was rainy, but We stayed inside because of the rain. So Because of nobody likes being alone is wrong: nobody likes has its own verb, so it takes plain because. The right version is Because nobody likes being alone at recess.
How do I teach because and so to A2 students?
Join one pair of facts both ways: Ava was new and She didn't know anyone become Ava was new, so she didn't know anyone and Ava didn't know anyone because she was new. With so, the reason goes first; with because, the result does. Ask Why? often, so students hear because as an answer. This lesson reads a school newsletter and a recess dialogue first, then joins pairs of sentences in a gap-fill.
What's a good game for practicing because and so?
A spin-the-wheel sentence game works well: each spin gives a sentence start, and the player finishes it aloud, as in Yesterday I was tired, so… or Why do you study English? Because… For a chain version, each student turns the last result into a new reason: It was rainy, so we stayed inside. We stayed inside, so we played cards. This lesson's wheel uses starts like these.
How do you practice because and so one-to-one?
Turn small talk into Why questions: Why were you late? Why do you like your job? The student answers with because, then says it again with so: The bus was late, so I missed the start. Between classes, the chat in the A2 lesson A bench for making friends on edio.ai asks about school days and offers one right reply and two wrong ones each time.
What's good homework for practicing because and so?
Good homework makes learners choose between the two words again and again: a table that joins first and second halves, a short story with gaps for so and because, and sentences to put in order, such as It was rainy, so we had recess in the gym. Self-checking tasks like these show each slip at once, and this lesson's homework has eight of them.
Are there interactive exercises for because and so?
Yes: exercises that react to each because or so let learners practice alone. Without signing up, this page plays four parts of A bench for making friends, an A2 lesson on edio.ai: the school newsletter about the buddy bench, the recess dialogue between Marco and Joanne, a gap-fill that links two sentences with because or so, and a chat with Nora's questions about school days. The rest needs an account.
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