Hello English speakers who want to learn French 🙂 !
In this article I share with you a grammar rule :
- What are the differences between the preposition POUR and PAR ?
POUR
- The preposition POUR serves to express :
-The goal
Example :
Il travaille pour gagner de l’argent. → He works to earn money.
-The destination
Example :
Elle part pour Paris demain. → She's leaving for Paris tomorrow.
-A planned duration (a fixed time)
Example :
Pascal part pour un mois en Italie. → Pascal leaves for a month in Italy.
-The cause
There must be no verb after the preposition POUR
Example :
La police l’a arrêté pour excès de vitesse. → The police arrested him for speeding.
PAR
- The preposition PAR mark :
-A place relation (to go through)
Example :
Entrer par la porte. → Enter through the door.
Regarder par la fenêtre. → Looking out the window.
Sortir par derrière.→ Exit from behind.
-A time relation (during)
Example :
Par une belle nuit d’hiver, il regarde la lune. → On a beautiful winter night, he looks at the moon.
-A relationship of way, cause and frequency
Example :
Le moyen : Je t’envoie le paquet par courrier postal.→ The way : I send you the package by post.
La cause : Il le fait par amour ou par intérêt. → Cause : He does it out of love or interest.
La fréquence : Julie va en cours de français trois fois par semaine. → Frequency : Julie goes to French classes three times a week.
- The preposition by is used :
-With verbs expressing the beginning or the end of an action
Example :
Le cours a commencé par des révisions et il a fini par un peu de prononciation et un jeu de rôle. →
The course started with revisions and ended with a bit of pronunciation and roleplaying.
-In many expressions / phrases
Example :
Par exemple, par hasard, par conséquent, par cœur, par derrière, par-ci par-là, par avance, par-delà,….
For example, by chance, therefore, by heart, behind, here and there, in advance, beyond, ....
Exercises
Complete the sentences with PAR or FOR
1 - Sophie part………………..l’Australie…………….un an…………..……..travailler comme jeune fille au pair.
Sophie leaves for Australia for a year to work as an au pair.
2 - L’avion est passé……………………………………………………………………………………Genève pour aller à Paris.
The plane went through Geneva to go to Paris.
3 - Il travaille………………………………...gagner de l’argent et partir……………………………………les Etats-Unis.
He works to make money and go to the United States.
4 - Je l’ai fait………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………gentillesse.
I did it by kindness.
5 - Il mange de la salade trois fois……………………………………………………………………………………………….jour.
He eats salad three times a day.
6 - Comment est-ce que tu as fait pour passer………………………………………………………….………la fenêtre ?
How did you go through the window ?
7 - Avez-vous un bateau………………………………………………………………………….………..aller sur l’île en face ?
Do you have a boat to go to the opposite island ?
8 - J’ai peur de la montagne, c’est…………..………….cela que je ne veux pas que tu fasses de l’escalade.
I'm afraid of the mountains, that's why I do not want you to climb.
9 - Il a une amende…………………………………………………………………………………………………..excès de vitesse.
He is fined for speeding.
10 - Tu es bon en tennis, c’est………………………………………………………………………………….cela que tu es fait.
You're good at tennis, that's why you're done.
Answers
1 - pour / pour / pour
2 - par
3 pour / pour
4 - par
5 - par
6 - par
7 - pour
8 - pour
9 – pour
10 – pour
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See you English speaker who want to learn french 🙂 !
Thomas Ricomard specializes in teaching French as a foreign language. He has been providing private lessons since 2015, both in-person and online (via Skype). He taught at the Popular University of the Canton of Geneva (Switzerland) from 2015 to 2018, instructing several groups of 20 students from around the world (United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Spain, Brazil, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mexico, etc.), ranging from beginner to intermediate levels (A1 to B2). With a Master’s degree in clinical and cognitive psychology from the University of Geneva, his knowledge of psychology allows him to tailor his teaching methods for optimal learning, taking into account factors such as visual memory versus auditory memory. He expresses his passion for the French language through writing texts, including poetry and songs, which he presents publicly at numerous music and slam events.