'as' and 'for'

[Chrisooi]

"He raised his children alone as his wife died in childbirth."

Can I use the preposition 'for' instead of 'as'?

Thank you.

[Josef]

Short answer: yes

"He raised his children alone for his wife died in childbirth."

Long answer: although you may indeed use "for" instead of "as" in your example sentence, be aware of the following two points:

1. When "for" has the meaning "because" - as in this case - it is a conjunction, not a preposition.

2. This usage, while perfectly correct, is a little dated, not to say stilted (a study of the former British prime minister John Major's speaking will reveal hundreds of examples).