Learn French Grammar: Advanced Connectors: Expansion and Progression

What you’ll learn

Distinguish expansion connectors from cause, consequence, and opposition markers.

Select between en outre, par ailleurs, de surcroît, and qui plus est.

Avoid repeating the same expansion connector across a single paragraph.

Position expansion connectors at the start of a clause or sentence.

Grammar

What expansion connectors do

Expansion connectors add a new point to an argument that is already underway. They do not introduce a cause, a consequence, or a contrast. Their function is to stack supporting ideas in the same direction, so the paragraph grows in weight without changing its thesis.

En outre and de plus are the most frequent. Both signal that another argument follows, and both appear at the start of a clause or sentence. Without them, a list of supporting points reads as a series of disconnected statements.

The main expansion connectors

French offers several expansion connectors, and the choice depends on register and on the weight the writer wants to give the added point.

En outre — the standard formal connector
De plus — neutral and slightly lighter
Par ailleurs — introduces a separate aspect of the same topic
De surcroît — adds a point that strengthens the previous one
Qui plus est — marks the added point as the strongest so far

All five carry the same basic relation, and the difference lies in register and emphasis. None of them introduces a cause or a conclusion.

Expansion connectors by register and emphasis

Connector	Register	Effect
en outre	formal	standard addition
de plus	neutral to formal	light addition
par ailleurs	formal	separate aspect
de surcroît	formal, emphatic	reinforcing addition
qui plus est	formal, emphatic	strongest addition

Examples

En outre, le dossier est complet et il respecte les délais.

En outre adds a supporting point to an argument already in progress.

De plus, le rapport présente des chiffres vérifiés.

De plus belongs to a neutral register and works in both written and spoken formal French.

Par ailleurs, la question du financement reste ouverte.

Par ailleurs introduces a separate aspect of the same topic rather than a new argument.

De surcroît, la décision a reçu l'accord du comité.

De surcroît reinforces the previous point and adds weight to the argument.

Qui plus est, la solution proposée est déjà appliquée ailleurs.

Qui plus est marks the added point as the strongest in the series.

Le projet est coûteux. En outre, il exige une équipe expérimentée.

Advanced Connectors: Expansion and Progression (Les connecteurs avancés : expansion et progression)

What you’ll learn

Grammar

What expansion connectors do

The main expansion connectors

Expansion connectors by register and emphasis

Watch out for these

Examples

Exercises

Expansion compared with cause and consequence

What you’ll learn

Grammar

What expansion connectors do

The main expansion connectors

Expansion connectors by register and emphasis

Examples

Exercises

Related lessons

Expansion compared with cause and consequence