How to link two cause–effect statements in close succession?


Take for example the following sentence,

> Since I didn't have time, I couldn't go, so I declined the offer.

Here we have two cause–effect statements:

  * Since I didn't have time, I couldn't go. (時間がなかったから、行けなかった。)
  * I couldn't go, so I declined the offer. (行けなかったから、申し出を断った。)

Would it be natural to combine the two Japanese sentences and write

> 時間がなかったから、行けなかったから、申し出を断った。

I don't recall ever a sentence with two からs (or のでs) in such close succession
of each other. If I were to change the first から into し, I would get

> 時間がなかったし、行けなかったから、申し出を断った。

However, this seems to imply

  * 時間がなかったから、申し出を断った
  * 行けなかったから、申し出を断った

which is different from what I want to say. What's the most natural way of
connecting two cause–effect statements? In English I think this most often
takes the form "Since ____, ____, so _____."




> "(A caused B) and that in turn caused C."
>
> "(B happened because of A) and that made C happen as a result."

The easiest and safest way to express these ideas without sounding awkward and
unnatural would be to _**not use two conjunctions**_ like in your example
sentences above -- から + から、から + ので、ので + ので, etc.

Instead, one could use only a single conjunction and a 連用形{れんようけい}
(continuative form) or a te-form.

**連用形 and single conjunction** :

「時間が **なく** 行けなかった **ので** 、お断りした。」

「なく」 is the 連用形 of 「ない」. One of the important roles of 連用形 is to describe a
reason/cause, remember?

**Te-form + single conjunction** :

「時間が **なくて** 行けなかった **ので** 、お断りした。」

The te-form can also be used to state a reason/cause.

Please remember that between the two sentences above, the second one using the
te-form sounds more casual to the native ear.




> "(A caused B) and that in turn caused C."
>
> "(B happened because of A) and that made C happen as a result."

The easiest and safest way to express these ideas without sounding awkward and
unnatural would be to _**not use two conjunctions**_ like in your example
sentences above -- から + から、から + ので、ので + ので, etc.

Instead, one could use only a single conjunction and a 連用形{れんようけい}
(continuative form) or a te-form.

**連用形 and single conjunction** :

「時間が **なく** 行けなかった **ので** 、お断りした。」

「なく」 is the 連用形 of 「ない」. One of the important roles of 連用形 is to describe a
reason/cause, remember?

**Te-form + single conjunction** :

「時間が **なくて** 行けなかった **ので** 、お断りした。」

The te-form can also be used to state a reason/cause.

Please remember that between the two sentences above, the second one using the
te-form sounds more casual to the native ear.

