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Grammar
Objective: Distinguish parce que, car, puisque, comme, grâce à, and à cause de, and apply each one to the correct register and structure.
| Connector | Register | Followed by | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| parce que | neutral | a clause | Je reste parce qu'il pleut. |
| car | formal, written | a clause | Il est absent car il est malade. |
| puisque | presupposed | a clause | Puisqu'il pleut, je reste. |
| comme | neutral, sentence-initial | a clause | Comme il pleut, je reste. |
| grâce à | positive | a noun phrase | Grâce à ton aide, j'ai réussi. |
| à cause de | negative | a noun phrase | À cause de la pluie, je suis resté. |
Car introduces a justification in formal or written French and cannot answer a direct pourquoi question. Only parce que responds to a direct query.
Rain is a negative cause, so the connector must be à cause de. Grâce à carries a positive evaluation and would contradict the cancellation.
Parce que is the neutral connector and answers a direct question about the reason. The elision to parce qu' before the vowel-initial il is mandatory.
Car belongs to a formal register and introduces a justification rather than answering a question. It appears mostly in writing.
Puisque presents the listener's presence as an obvious fact that both speakers already accept, and the main clause builds on that shared premise.
Comme places the cause first. The verb takes the imparfait for the ongoing weather, and the main clause reports the completed decision.
Grâce à carries a positive evaluation of the cause and takes the noun phrase ton aide, not a clause.
7 exercises · about 11 minutes
Puisque presents the cause as already known or accepted by the listener. The listener's presence is obvious, so the presupposing connector is the natural choice.
Grâce à carries a positive evaluation of the cause, while à cause de carries a negative one. The successful outcome requires the positive connector.
À cause de carries a negative evaluation and takes the noun phrase la pluie. The cancellation is the direct consequence.
The neutral parce que introduces new information about the speaker's state. The imparfait describes the ongoing condition at the moment of the decision.
The puisque presents the missing bread as an established fact that both speakers already know. The elision to puisqu' before the vowel-initial il is mandatory.