How come?

Question

To the question (How come) Pauline porte cette robe? My answer 'Comment cela se fait-il que....' is rejected for 'Comment ca se fait'. Yet in the lesson we are told that my answer is the more 'elegant' French. Please explain.

Accepted Answer

If I may add to this debate -
Comment (cela)se fait-il que Pauline porte cette robe?  
Comment ça se fait que Pauline porte cette robe ?
Pauline porte cette robe, comment ça se fait ?
are all  correct, the first one sounds more elegant and stilted to me .
In spoken French you would use the latter two.
Hope this helps!

Answer

Hi John, 
if you examine the lesson carefully you will see toward the end that the correct answer is:
Comment se fait-il que.... OR Comment ça se fait que...
The answer "comment cela se fait-il..." is grammatically not correct even though sometimes used colloquially.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).

Answer

I realize that in the beginning of the lesson it seems to say that "comment cela se fait-il?" is more elegant. However this isn't born out later and i. The examples. 
I guess this should be clarified in the lesson. 
-- Chris.

Answer

I think the point is that "comment cela se fait-il?"  is used on its own, not when followed by que ...

Answer

Yes, I know. But that needs to be stated more clearly.

Answer

OK, but I thought the lesson was quite clear on the distinction between the phrase on its own, and when followed by a conjugated verb.