I can link two ideas: give a cause with a sentence (parce que, car) and with a noun (à cause de, grâce à), draw a conclusion (donc, c'est pour ça que), object (mais, pourtant), and give a purpose (pour + infinitive).
Why, so, but: linking two ideas
Why, so, but: linking two ideas
Without linking words, an A2 answer falls apart into separate sentences. A linking word shows how one idea follows from another.
Cause as a full sentence: parce que is the usual answer to Pourquoi ?; car means the same but is a bit more formal. Both go BETWEEN the two parts: unlike English “because”, car never starts a sentence. Before a vowel, parce que becomes parce qu'.
Cause as a noun: à cause de when the cause is unpleasant, grâce à when it helped. Both take a noun with its article, not a full sentence.
Result: donc and alors go inside the sentence after a comma; c'est pour ça que starts the second sentence and becomes c'est pour ça qu' before a vowel.
Contrast: mais joins two parts of one sentence; pourtant (“however, and yet”) starts the next sentence and is followed by a comma.
Purpose: pour + INFINITIVE when both parts have the same subject: Camille prend le métro pour arriver à l'heure.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “à cause de il pleut” → “à cause de la pluie”.
• NOT “Car il est malade, il reste à la maison” → “Il reste à la maison, car il est malade”.
• NOT “grâce à la grève” → “à cause de la grève”: a strike gets in the way, it doesn't help.
• NOT “Elle travaille pour elle paie son studio” → “Elle travaille pour payer son studio”.
• NOT “Nous sommes fatigués parce que le bruit” → “Nous sommes fatigués à cause du bruit”.
Cause and result
On the left, what the linking word takes; on the right, where it goes in the sentence.
| Linking word | What follows it | Position in the sentence |
|---|---|---|
| parce que | a full sentence | between the two parts, answers Pourquoi ? |
| car | a full sentence | between the two parts, never starts the sentence |
| à cause de | a noun with an article, a bad cause | à cause du bruit, à cause de la pluie |
| grâce à | a noun with an article, a cause that helped | grâce au métro, grâce à Julien |
| donc | a full sentence | inside the sentence, after a comma |
| alors | a full sentence | inside the sentence, after a comma |
| c'est pour ça que | a full sentence | starts the second sentence |
Contrast and purpose
Put a comma after pourtant; pour is followed by an infinitive, not a sentence.
| Linking word | What follows it | Position in the sentence |
|---|---|---|
| mais | the second part of the sentence | inside one sentence, after a comma |
| pourtant | a full sentence | at the start of the next sentence, followed by a comma |
| pour | an infinitive, both parts have the same subject | pour payer, pour travailler |
Lesson notes
Why, so, but: linking two ideas
Without linking words, an A2 answer falls apart into separate sentences. A linking word shows how one idea follows from another.
Cause as a full sentence: parce que is the usual answer to Pourquoi ?; car means the same but is a bit more formal. Both go BETWEEN the two parts: unlike English “because”, car never starts a sentence. Before a vowel, parce que becomes parce qu'.
Cause as a noun: à cause de when the cause is unpleasant, grâce à when it helped. Both take a noun with its article, not a full sentence.
Result: donc and alors go inside the sentence after a comma; c'est pour ça que starts the second sentence and becomes c'est pour ça qu' before a vowel.
Contrast: mais joins two parts of one sentence; pourtant (“however, and yet”) starts the next sentence and is followed by a comma.
Purpose: pour + INFINITIVE when both parts have the same subject: Camille prend le métro pour arriver à l'heure.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “à cause de il pleut” → “à cause de la pluie”.
• NOT “Car il est malade, il reste à la maison” → “Il reste à la maison, car il est malade”.
• NOT “grâce à la grève” → “à cause de la grève”: a strike gets in the way, it doesn't help.
• NOT “Elle travaille pour elle paie son studio” → “Elle travaille pour payer son studio”.
• NOT “Nous sommes fatigués parce que le bruit” → “Nous sommes fatigués à cause du bruit”.