Expressing cause

Expressing cause: progressive explanation, topic-specific examples, guided exercises and a corrected assessment.

Duration: 25 minPrerequisites: discours-direct-indirectPass mark: 80%

1. Objective

By the end, you will recognise and use “Expressing cause” correctly.

2. Discover

Look at the six examples for “Expressing cause”. Before reading the rule, notice what changes and what stays stable.

3. Understand

To express cause, you explain why something happens. Parce que, car, puisque and comme introduce a clause; à cause de and grâce à are followed by a noun. Choose the connector according to what follows it.

Je prends un parapluie parce qu’il pleut.Comme le magasin est fermé, nous reviendrons demain.Puisqu’il connaît déjà le quartier, il nous guide.Le train est retardé à cause d’un incident technique.Grâce à ton message, j’ai trouvé l’adresse.Nous restons à l’intérieur car le vent est très fort.

Watch out

First identify the relation between the ideas: cause, consequence, contrast, condition, time… Choose the connector from the meaning, not the other way around.

4. Guided practice

5. Independent practice

6. Write / speak

Write three sentences from your own life using the target structure. Change the people, place or time rather than copying the models.

7. Check your learning

8. Remember

To express cause, you explain why something happens.

Download worksheet (PDF)

9. Now I can…

I can recognise “Expressing cause” in a new example.
I can justify my choice and create an example.