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Grâce au garde-côte, le sauvetage de l'équipage est un succès.

Grâce au garde-côte, le sauvetage de l'équipage est un succès.
Thanks to the coastguard, the rescue of the crew is a success.
From Lesson 348:Concession (même si)·French

Questions & Answers about Grâce au garde-côte, le sauvetage de l'équipage est un succès.

Why is it grâce au instead of à cause du?
French distinguishes between positive and negative causes. Grâce à (thanks to) is used for positive outcomes, while à cause de (because of) is used for negative or neutral ones. Because garde-côte is masculine, à + le contracts to au.
How do you make a compound noun like garde-côte plural?
It becomes les garde-côtes. In compound nouns made of a verb (garder) and a noun (côte), only the noun part takes the plural -s. The verb part remains unchanged.
Is there a rule for the gender of nouns ending in -age like sauvetage and équipage?
Yes, nouns ending in -age are almost always masculine. This suffix is frequently used to turn verbs into nouns (like sauver to sauvetage) or to group things together (like équipe to équipage). A few common exceptions are feminine, such as la page, l'image, and la plage.
How does this sentence contrast with the current lesson on même si (even if)?
This sentence states a direct positive cause using grâce à. If you were to use même si, you would introduce a concession (an obstacle that didn't stop the outcome) instead of a cause. For example: Le sauvetage est un succès même si la mer était agitée (The rescue is a success even if the sea was rough). Notice how cause and concession function differently!

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