-기 때문에 is mainly used for formal writing. It rarely used in colloquially.
It is replaced by -어서, 길래, 니까 in colloquially.
For negative clause, 느라고 or 는 바람에 is more natural.
~느라고:
The first clause is a reason or cause for the second (usually negative in nature)
Equivalent to "Because of that..."
Usage:
-Can be shortened to ~느라
-Action in the first clause continued partially or completely with that of second
-Don't: use positive clauses afterward - it sounds unnatural
-Don't: use propositive/imperative forms
-Don't: use past tense ~았/었
-Use idiomatically with 수고하다, 고생하다
-ONLY use verbs that show the (1) will of the subject, (2) force of energy, (3) time
-Subject stays the same in both clauses
~는 바람에:
The first clause (usually a negative influence on the second) describes the reason or cause for the second clause
Equivalent to "Unfortunately, as a result of..."
Usage:
-ONLY used with verbs
-Second clause is ALWAYS past tense (because it's describing something that has happened)
-Don't: use positive clauses - it sounds unnatural - this expression is for negative things that have happened (but very rarely something positive can be said - only if it was completely unexpected or unintended)
-Don't: use propositive/imperative forms
-Don't: use past tense ~았/었
-Difference: ~아/어서 = a simple reason, ~는 바람에 = an unintended result
e.g.
어제 늦게 잤는 바람에 아침에 늦게 일어났다 (X)
어제 늦게 자는 바람에 아침에 늦게 일어났다. (O)
= I slept late yesterday so I woke up late in the morning.
무릎을 다치는 바람에 병원에 갈거에요. (X)
무릎을 다치는 바람에 병원에 가게 됐어요. (O)
= I hurt my knee so (because of that) I ended up going to the hospital
야구를 보는 바람에 숙제를 못했어요. (X)
This sentence is wrong because watching baseball was not an unexpected occurrence or something I wouldn’t have hoped for. So since the action is our own, we have to use -느라고.
야구를 보느라고 숙제를 못했어요. (O)
= I couldn’t do my homework because I watched baseball.
컴퓨터가 고장이 나는 바람에 숙제를 못했어요. (O)
= My computer broke so I couldn’t do my homework.