This article compares the frequency with which ESL and non-ESL writers use because clauses for three different discourse-pragmatic functions: to enhance a sentence with information relevant only to that sentence, to make a cohesive link with prior discourse, or to introduce new information which becomes the discourse topic. The ESL writers in this study use significantly more because clauses than non-ESL writers, especially locally relevant because clauses. Non-ESL writers typically create cohesive ties with prior or subsequent discourse when they use because. The article suggests reasons for these differences and draws pedagogical implications. This research affirms the importance in language acquisition studies of examining the functional distribution of syntactic structures and their relevance to global dimensions of text. As this study shows, language learners employ because clauses where more proficient writers use other constructions, making the distribution of because clauses significantly different in ESL and non-ESL writing.