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Concession: Despite or Although

In that past week, some very motivated Advanced Learners showed me that when it comes to expressing concession, the use of DESPITE  and  ALTHOUGH  shouldn't be taken for granted... In order to help them (and all of you at the same time), here's a focus of what you should know and remember! 

I) DESPITE/ IN SPITE OF + Noun Phrase/ Noun/ Pronoun:

The preposition DESPITE is followed by a NOUN PHRASE. 

( Careful!   "despite" is never followed by « of ».)

The noun phrase may be: 

* a determiner + (adjective) + noun;

* a pronoun (remplacing a noun) [a demonstrative pronoun: this/ that/ these /those - an indirect interrogative pronoun  (what)]

- He didn't pass his exam despite his regular work.

- In spite of what he had promised, (= despite what he had promised), he didn't keep his New Year's resolutions.

- She went to school, despite the fever she had when she woke up this morning.

II) THOUGH/ ALTHOUGH +verb phrase/ clause (= subject + verb) ...

The conjunction THOUGH/ ALTHOUGH is followed by a VERB PHRASE. 

- He didn't pass his exam although he had worked regularly.

- Paul finished his report, although he was very tired and feeling sleepy. 

* As though/ as if...

- Paul answered the question as though he hadn't thought about what he was saying.

* Even though/ even if...

- Even though he had been grounded by his parents, Reed escaped from his home to go to the party. 

To sum up: you only have to check the nature of the word after the link word: (although + verb // despite + noun). Easy, isn't it? 

Good luck for the test!  

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1. ' How could you go to the city alone thoughalthoughdespitein spiteI don't know my warnings and interdictions?'


2. He's eating hamburgers and chips in spite ofthoughdespiteI don't know he keeps saying his doctor has put him on a diet !


3. 'In spite ofDespiteAlthoughI don't know I had told him again and again not to accept a lift from a stranger, I was told he was hitchhiking yesterday at 5...'


4. AlthoughThoughIn spite ofDespite ofI don't know terrible working conditions, he has never missed a single day of work.


5. After being unemployed for a year, Matt accepted that job despitealthoughin spitethoughI don't know the relatively low wages.


6. After being unemployed for a year, Matt accepted that job in spitedespitealthoughI don't know he was given low wages.


7. I wonder how sweet Lucy managed to sleep thoughdespitethoughtalthoughI don't know the noise the neighbours were making.


8. A lot of things went wrong during the exams in spitealthoughdespiteI don't know they had worked a lot to prepare them.


9. A lot of things went wrong during the exams althoughdespitethoughI don't know the work done to prepare them.


10. ' Brenda didn’t come to help you althoughinspitedespiteI don't know what she had said.' BR>