Talk:owing to

Due to vs. owing to

Merriam-Webster says [1]:

The objection to due to as a preposition is only a continuation of disagreements that began in the 18th century over the proper uses of owing and due. Due to is as grammatically sound as owing to, which is frequently recommended in its place. It has been and is used by reputable writers and has been recognized as standard for decades. There is no solid reason to avoid due to.

Personally, I've only once encountered someone complaining about the prepositional use of "due to"; in my experience, it's common. This should probably be described as disputed, not wrong.

-- Beland (talk) 17:26, 21 June 2012 (UTC)

The usual admonition being that due to is used with a noun phrase and owing to with a non-finite clause so

It was due to my lateness that I missed the meeting

Owing to being late, I missed the meeting

https://www.eltconcourse.com/training/inservice/functions/cause_effect.html JMGN (talk) 12:12, 11 August 2023 (UTC)

2. (as a predicative adjective) caused by; attributable to

2. The cancellation was owing to ill health --Backinstadiums (talk) 22:16, 15 March 2021 (UTC)

Any other 'tenses'?

Are any other tenses allowed?

For instance (past):

• The competition was cancelled owing to rain.
• The cancellation of the competition was owing to rain.
• The cancellation of the competition owed to rain.  ???
• cf. The competition owed its cancellation to rain. (From owe.)

Or (future):

• "If she succeeds, it'll be owing to her diligence."
• "Her success, if it comes to pass, will be owing to her diligence."
• "If she succeeds, it'll owe to her diligence."??
• "Her success, if it comes to pass, will owe to her diligence."??
• cf. "She will owe her success, if it comes to pass, to her diligence." (From owe.)

Or even (past of the past):

• The unlikelihood of his ever reaching the summit had been widely accepted owing to his seeming lack of dedication to serious training.
• The wide acceptance that his ever reaching the summit was unlikely had owed to his seeming lack of dedication to serious training.???
• cf. The perception of unlikelihood of his ever reaching the summit had owed its wide acceptance to his seeming lack of dedication to serious training. (From owe.)

—DIV (1.145.110.167 08:16, 3 April 2023 (UTC))