Due to the continual rain, a smaller number of spectators

Question

Due to the continual rain, a smaller number  of spectators witnessed the game than had been expected.

a) ~

b) Due to the continuous rain, a smaller number

c) Due to the continual rain, a lesser number

d) Because of the rain that kept falling now and then, a smaller number

e) Because of the continual rain, a smaller number

-----------------------------
I could easily eliminate (c) and (d).

Can someone explain how to narrow it down further?
What are adverbial clauses? And what are the rules associated with them?

Thanks

mckenna · Answer

Sorry. I meant "what are adverbial modifiers?" not "what are adverbial clauses?".

Thanks

chunjuwu · Answer

I go with E. 

'Due to' is improper to start a sentence. A,B, C are out. 
E is more compact than D

ywilfred · Answer

We can do a split here: continuous vs continual. Both are correct, continual and continuos are synomous. (From merriam-webster online)

(C) is wrong-- use lesser for uncountable nouns
(D) is out --lenthy and the use of 'now and then' suggests sporadic rainfall, when the original sentence meant constant rainfall

I recall from Grammar class that it's improper to start with Because. I've never anything about 'due to'. So I'll take E out as well. 

Between A and B, I'll go with B. Continuos rains sounds much better than Continual rain.

MoscowFuturist · Answer

E is obvious answer.
'Due to' has favorable meaning but in reality rain impeded to smth...
D is wordy. E is concise and clear.

Folaa3 · Answer

(B)...isn't there a rule that Due to should be followed by a clause and Because of should be followed by phrase?

polinayurr · Answer

It's incorrect to use "due to" to create a prepositional phrase in a verbless cluase.

jpv · Answer

I did not like any of the answer choices.. I would prefer "fewer than" for the comparison since Spectators is countable Noun.

Provided that:
"Due to" is not preferred at te begining of the sentence and (D) is wordy, we are left with (E)..

mckenna · Answer

HongHu, Nicolis,
Can you throw some light here?

OA is E.

Thanks

Due to the continual rain, a smaller number of spectators

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