That's why, hence why

[NamelessKing]

Are those expressions equivalent? Can I leave out "why" after hence?

1. I couldn't contact you, hence [that's why] I left you a voice mail.
2. I don't know how to fix this drawer, hence why [that's why] I'm watching this DIY video.
3. There was a power outage in the headquarters, hence why [that's why] the place is empty and quiet.

 

[jutfrank]

Don't use hence in any of those sentences.

 

[NamelessKing]

Don't use hence in any of those sentences.

How is "hence" used? I thought it linked two sentences in which one is consequence of another.

 

[jutfrank]

How is "hence" used? I thought it linked two sentences in which one is consequence of another.

No, not at all.

It's not an easy word to use.

Firstly, you shouldn't really say the word at all. It's best left for written discourse, especially academic writing. It can be spoken but not normally outside of at least semi-formal use.

Secondly, the meaning can be somewhat hard to pin down, in my opinion, which complicates the way it tends to get used. Grammatically speaking, it can adopt different parts of speech.

Have a look at some online resources to see if you can find a good guide to its use. Once you've done that, come back here with any questions you still have.

 

[Rover_KE]

Click here and bookmark the site for future reference.

 

[Tarheel]

Namelessking, I suggest that you give up on learning how to use hence. It's a word that's rarely used, and you are unlikely to need it anytime soon.

 

[NamelessKing]

Click here and bookmark the site for future reference.

That link is broken.

 

[Skrej]

I think this is what Rover meant to offer. It looks like the first part of the URL was cut off.