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"For I do not know his name yet, I will acknowledge my new friend as James for now."

Also, is the word "acknowledge" suitable in this sentence?

Thanks!

(I'm trying to not use the word "since" here because I have already used it)

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It has to be since. For cannot be used to introduce a dependent clause starting a sentence, as you do here. For is a coordinating conjunction and is used to connect two independent clauses. For example:

She spent Christmas alone, for she had nowhere else to go.

Note that the use of for as a conjunction meaning since or because " ... is declining. ... This usage now seems rather literary" (Peters in The Cambridge Guide to English Usage, p214).

Acknowledge is not the best word here. My suggestion:

Since I do not know his name yet, I will call my new friend James for now.

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  • Thanks! Sorry, I just forgot to mention that I'm not trying to use "since"
    – DDXTWE
    Dec 31, 2014 at 8:54
  • @DDXTWE, subordinating conjunctions because and as both work here in place of since,
    – Shoe
    Dec 31, 2014 at 8:57
  • "Acknowledge" means that you will call your friend "James" to his face. If you are just using the name so you don't have to keep saying, "My new friend," use "call" or, more specifically, "refer to".
    – Oldbag
    Dec 31, 2014 at 10:57

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