Connectors that are not synonyms
CEFR B1 · part 1
edumaterial's parts within the level. The European framework does not subdivide them.
When French needs the subjunctive (and when it does not)Forming the present subjunctive and, above all, knowing when it is not used even though…Past participle agreementAgreeing the participle with être always, and with avoir only when the direct object…Reporting what someone saidTurning a sentence into reported speech, changing tense, person and time or place markers.Obligation and prohibitionSaying that something is compulsory, forbidden, or simply not necessary.The adjective that changes meaningPlacing six adjectives before or after depending on the meaning, and reading correctly…tout, chaque, quelque, plusieursChoosing the right form of tout, and not pluralising what is always singular.The rule, in three lines
Connectors are not interchangeable synonyms. donc is consequence, car is cause, cependant concedes, en revanche contrasts two comparable things, and or introduces a new fact that turns the argument.
The usual slip. Assuming French or is English «or», and that actuellement is «actually».
Why it catches you out. English connectors have look-alikes that are not equivalents: «however» is not always cependant, «actually» is not actuellement, and «or» is not or.