Log inSign up

C'est l'augmentation des prix qui provoque la crise.

C'est l'augmentation des prix qui provoque la crise.
It's the price increase that causes the crisis.
From Lesson 313:Transforming verbs into nouns·French

Questions & Answers about C'est l'augmentation des prix qui provoque la crise.

How is nominalization working in l'augmentation des prix?
Instead of using a verbal clause like les prix augmentent (prices increase), the sentence turns the verb augmenter into the noun l'augmentation. This allows the entire action to act as a single noun phrase, which is a common way to make French sound more formal or journalistic.
Why does the sentence use the structure C'est ... qui?
This is a cleft sentence used for emphasis. By wrapping the noun phrase in C'est ... qui, it highlights that the price increase is the exact cause of the crisis, distinguishing it from other possible causes. It translates closely to "It is... that..." in English.
In the nominalized phrase, why does les prix become des prix?
When transforming the subject of a verb (the prices) into the complement of a noun (the increase of the prices), you must use the preposition de. Here, de combines with the plural definite article les to form the mandatory contraction des.
The noun augmentation comes from augmenter. Are nouns formed this way always feminine?
Yes, nouns created by adding the suffix -tion or -ation to a verb are almost always feminine in French. This is a highly reliable pattern when you are building noun phrases for nominalization.

Learn C'est l'augmentation des prix qui provoque la crise and more in French

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning French →