This document discusses different grammatical structures that can be used to express reasons for immigration, including adverb clauses introduced by because, so that, and since; prepositional phrases introduced by because of; and infinitive phrases introduced by to and in order to. It provides examples of sentences using these structures to express reasons such as seeking jobs, family connections, better lives for children, escaping war or persecution. The document cautions that structures must be used correctly and that the word so can function as a conjunction or subordinator.

3. For example:
We came to the U.S. because our relatives
were already here.
He came here because he couldn’t find a
job in his country.
Many people cannot get immigrant visas
since the U.S. limits the number of
applicants it will accept.
Many people decide to immigrate so that
their children will have a better life.

4. Remember that an adverb clause can
move to the beginning of the sentence:
Because our relatives were already in the
U.S., we decided to come here.
Because he couldn’t find a job in his
country, he came here.
Since the U.S. limits the number of
applicants it will accept, many people
cannot get immigrant visas.
So that their children will have a better
life, many people decide to immigrate.

5. The word so is very tricky (sorry!)

(1) It is a coordinating conjunction (one of the
FANBOYS). When you use it this way, it combines
two sentences  a compound sentence with a
comma:
They wanted their children to have a better life, so
they immigrated.
(2) So that is a subordinator that combines two
sentences using an adverb clause:
They immigrated so that their children could have a
better life.

6. And it gets even worse than that!

So that is a subordinator that combines two
sentences using an adverb clause:
They immigrated so that their children could have a
better life.
BUT
In conversation, we often omit that from this kind of
sentence, using so as a subordinator:
They immigrated so their children could have a better
life.

8. For example:
The Irish came here in the 19th century
because of the potato famine.
The Bosnians left because of war in
their country.

9. Compare the prepositional
phrase and the adverb clause:
The Irish came here in the 19th century
because of the potato famine = The
Irish came here in the 19th century
because there was a potato famine
The Bosnians left because of war in
their country. = The Bosnians left
because their country had a war.

10. Be careful! These sentences
are incorrect!
**The Irish came here in the 19th century
because the potato famine.
**The Bosnians left because of their
country had a war.

12. For example:
In the late 19th century, many Jews left
Russia to escape religious persecution.
Many Chinese young people come to the
United States to study.

13. In this kind of sentence, we often
use in order before the infinitive:
In the late 19th century, many Jews left
Russia in order to escape religious
persecution.
Many Chinese young people come to the
United States in order to study.

14. Different ways to express the same
idea, using different grammar!
Ms. Agard’s ancestors came to America
because they did not have religious
freedom in England. (adverb clause)
They came to America so that they could
practice their religion freely. (adverb
clause)
Ms. Agard’s ancestors came to America
because of religious persecution in
England. (prepositional phrase)
They came to America for religious
freedom. (prepositional phrase)
17th Century Quakers:
http://www.art-prints-on-demand.com/
cgi-bin/apod#rahmenanker
Ms. Agard’s ancestors came to America
to practice their religion freely. (infinitive)
They came to American in order to have
freedom of religion. (infinitive)