'in spite of', 'despite', 'although', 'even though' and 'though'

3RD MID TERM VIII

HOW TO CONECT IDEAS?

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Grammar explanation

Although, even though, in spite of and despite are all used to link two contrasting ideas or show that one fact makes the other fact surprising. They can all be used at the beginning or in the middle of the sentence. Despite the rain, we enjoyed the festival. We enjoyed the festival, despite the rain. The main difference between although, even though, in spite of and despite is that they are used with different structures.

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in spite of / despite

What’s the difference between despite and in spite of? The easy answer: none. Despite and in spite of, despite what you may have heard, work identically in a sentence. In other words, these two prepositions, in spite of what you may have heard, are basically identical. In most cases, both mean “notwithstanding,” “even though,” or “regardless of.” Despite their similarities, keep these things in mind to make sure your usage gives no cause for complaint.

in spite of / despite

Both despite and in spite of are prepositions that show contrast. They can show up at the start of a sentence or in the middle, but you’ll often need an extra clause to show the flip side.

in spite of / despite

What comes after them? Not just any part of speech can be used with these two little prepositions. For the most part, you’ve got three options for what can follow your spite-related phrases.

After in spite of and despite, we use a noun, gerund (-ing form of a verb) or a pronounoun

• They never made much money, in spite of their success.
• In spite of the pain in his leg, he completed the marathon.
• Despite having a headache, I had a great birthday.
• The train was cancelled. In spite of that, we arrived on time.

Note that it is common to use in spite of and despite with the expression the fact that, followed by a subject and verb.

• In spite of the fact that he worked very hard, he didn't pass the exam.

• Despite the fact that he worked very hard, he didn't pass the exam.

although / even though

After although and even though, we use a subject and a verb. Even though is slightly stronger and more emphatic than although.

EXAMPLES

• I enjoyed the course, although I would have liked more grammar practice.
• Although we saw each other every day, we didn't really know each other.

• Even though she spoke very quietly, he understood every word.
• She didn't get the job, even though she had all the necessary qualifications.

though

Though can be used in the same way as although. Though can also go at the end of the second phrase. This way of expressing contrasting ideas is most common in spoken English.

EXAMPLES

• Though I wasn't keen on the film, I thought the music was beautiful.

• We waited ages for our food. The waiter was really nice, though.

However

‘However’ can be used in a number of different ways and each usage requires particular punctuation. using ‘however’ as a conjunctive adverb ‘However’ can be used to join two simple sentences to make a compound sentence. ‘However’ indicates that the relationship between the two independent clauses is one of contrast or opposition.

However

The engineers claimed that the bridge was safe; however, they were still not prepared to risk crossing.

Use a semi-colon (;) before and a comma (,) after however when you are using it to write a compound sentence.

using ‘however’ to begin a sentence

If ‘however’ is used to begin a sentence, it must be followed by a comma, and what appears after the comma must be a complete sentence.

However, there was no need to repeat the data entry

using ‘however’ to begin a sentence

Keep the use of sentences beginning with ‘however’ to a minimum. Overuse makes ‘however’ look more important than the content of the sentence. It may also result in sentence fragments.

FRAGMENT — However, life in Ancient Egypt three thousand years ago.REVISED — However, life in Ancient Egypt three thousand years ago was much more sophisticated.

using ‘however’ to begin a sentence

A sentence beginning with ‘however,’ is usually closely related to the sentence which precedes it. In most cases, it is more appropriate to use ‘however’ to form a compound sentence.

FRAGMENT — However, life in Ancient Egypt three thousand years ago.REVISED — However, life in Ancient Egypt three thousand years ago was much more sophisticated.

Using ‘however’ as an aside

‘However’ can be used to interrupt a sentence. Use a comma (,) before and a comma (,) after ‘however’ when you use it in this way.

It is, however, extremely difficult to identify all the relevant variables.

on the one hand ... on the other hand

Used when you are comparing two different facts or two opposite ways of thinking about a situation:

On the one hand I'd like a job that pays more, but on the other hand I enjoy the work I'm doing at the moment.

Whereas

We use the conjunction whereas to indicate a contrast between two facts or ideas:

He loves foreign holidays, whereas his wife prefers to stay at home. Whereas most new PCs have several USB slots, older ones often only had one.

WHEREAS

Whereas means the same as while in sentences expressing contrasts. It does not mean the same as while when while refers to time:

The south has a hot, dry climate, whereas/while the north has a milder, wetter climate. The secretary took care of my appointments while I was away from the office. Not: … whereas I was away from the office.