reason for ... (Murphy Additional Exercises, Prepositions Units 12, 119-136)
Pattern
Section titled “Pattern”the reason for + noun / -ing
| Right | Wrong |
|---|---|
| the reason for this | |
| the reason for the change | |
| the reason for going | |
| the reason for being late |
“the reason why” — different pattern
Section titled ““the reason why” — different pattern”the reason why + clause = “the reason that” (introduces a clause).
- “The reason why he left is unclear.” = “The reason that he left is unclear.”
the reason for + noun = “the reason of / regarding” (introduces a noun or gerund).
- “The reason for his leaving is unclear.” = same meaning, using a noun form
Both work. Don’t confuse them. “why” for clauses, “for” for nouns/gerunds.
Sibling “for” patterns
Section titled “Sibling “for” patterns”“for” is the preposition of attribution / cause. Many verb+prep+ing pairs use it:
| Verb pair | Preposition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| the reason for | for | the reason for going |
| apologize for | for | apologize for being late |
| thanks for | for | thanks for coming |
| account for | for | account for the missing money |
| pay for | for | pay for the damage |
| blame for | for | blame for the mistake |
| famous for | for | famous for its beaches |
Indonesian speakers often mistranslate using alasan untuk or alasan tentang — the right English preposition is for, not to or about.
Quick test
Section titled “Quick test”The plan has been changed, but nobody seems to know the reason ___ this.
Answer: for. “The reason for this” — the change.
Why not others?
- the reason of this ✗ (Indonesian alasan dari — wrong preposition in English)
- the reason about this ✗ (Indonesian alasan tentang — wrong)
- the reason why this ✗ (would need a clause: “the reason why this happened”)
- the reason to this ✗ (Indonesian alasan untuk — wrong)
Source
Section titled “Source”Raymond Murphy, English Grammar in Use (4th ed.), Additional Exercises — Prepositions (Units 12, 119-136). Ebot lesson 2026-08-29: “The plan has been changed, but nobody seems to know the reason ___ this.” Answer: for (the reason for this / for the change).