Are you looking for a transition phrase for your writing? You could use "as a result" to explain an outcome. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.
Meaning
The phrase "as a result" is a transition phrase in essays and articles. When used repeatedly in fictional work or casual wring, it may cause the piece to have a boring or stale flow, losing the reader's attention.
When it appears as a transition phrase in writing, "as a result" ties together two sentences, with one being the cause of the other. There are well over a dozen synonyms available for writers to replace the use of "as a result" in their writing, bringing more variety to their work.
Example Usage
"Due to his ignorance, the family was left stranded in the middle of the storm with no help in sight. The Coast Guard suggested the man be brought up on charges of third-degree manslaughter for his actions."
"We left the chemicals standing overnight in the storage area. As a result of our stupidity, they gassed off and contaminated the entire classroom in a matter of hours."
"As a result of the politician's idiocy in bending a knee to woke culture, riots broke out in the street, and people were protesting across the nation, asking for a new leader."
"As a result of the rapper's attacks on Jewish people in the media, he saw his contracts canceled, and his banking partner closed his account."
"As a result of his quick thinking, the diver managed to stop the wreckage from falling on him and his team, saving them from entrapment that would present a drowning scenario."
"As a result of my actions, my family was left in a precarious situation where they might have perished. I'm an idiot, and I vow never to let it happen again."
"As a result of the war, more than 100 million people are at risk of starvation in the coming year. We need to do something to address this situation immediately."
"The farmer was told to use less nitrogen-based fertilizer on his crops. As a result, yields went down, and the risk of famine became very real to the nation."
"More than 80% of the world's coral reefs are at risk of bleaching as a result of the impact of climate change on the ecosystem."
Origin
The expression "as a result" is a literary saying. As a result, language experts cannot pinpoint when this phrase entered the English lexicon or who coined its first use. Some experts suggest it originates from Latin and was first introduced into English circa 1300. However, there are no written citations of its use or records of its introduction into writing.
Phrases Similar to As a Result
- Hence.
- Accordingly.
- Following.
- For that reason.
- In this way.
Phrases Opposite to As a Result
- N/A.
What is the Correct Saying?
- As a result.
Ways People May Say As a Result Incorrectly
The saying "as a result" makes social conversations and informal writing sound boring and stale. It's better to use one of the synonyms for this phrase to give the sentence and writing more flow and better readability.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase As a Result
You can use the phrase "as a result" in professional writing where you want to explain the outcome of something previously stated in writing or a conversation. For instance, you could say, "We placed the test tube over the Bunsen burner for five minutes. Asa result, the chemicals started to boil and gas off into VOCs. It's a way of describing the results of a previous process.
The saying is more common in formal writing, and you won't find it often used in social conversations. It's more common for the phrase to be used in scientific literature and non-fiction writing than fiction. Using the saying in casual writing is usually flagged as a grammar mistake in MSWord and other grammar correction tools.