Is the following sentence grammatical?
This is because of your computer not being connected to the Internet.
If this is not, what's the proper structure for using verb + ing after of (especially "because of")?
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I think it's syntactically valid, but Andrew Lott's suggestions are the more commonly used patterns.– Senjougahara HitagiNov 11 '15 at 0:42
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@SenjougaharaHitagi I disagree. I think the OP's sentence is fine, if not superior.– Araucaria - Not here any more.Nov 11 '15 at 14:04
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In this case, you'd be better off saying one of the following:
This is because your computer is not connected to the Internet.
-or-
This is due to your computer not being connected to the Internet.
The first sentence simplifies the point and removes potential grammar mistakes.
This page has a breakdown explaining the difference between the word pairs "because of" and "due to" which helps in the second example. Basically, "because of" grew up as an adverb & "due to" grew up as an adjective. "This" is then the noun modified by the prepositional phrase.
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Structurally [This is because of] + [Noun phrase] is valid syntax, and "your computer not being connected to the Internet" is a noun phrase. But I agree your suggestions sound more natural, because they are more commonly used. Nov 11 '15 at 0:43