Study this example situation:
Last year Jack and Jill spent their holidays by the sea.
It rained a lot but they enjoyed themselves. You can say:
Although it rained a lot, they enjoyed themselves. (= It rained a lot but they ...)
or In spite of the rain, they enjoyed themselves. Despite the rain, they enjoyed themselves.
After although we use a subject + verb:
* Although it rained a lot, we enjoyed our holiday.
* I didn't get the job although I had all the necessary qualifications.
Compare the meaning of although and because:
* We went out although it was raining.
* We didn't go out because it was raining.
After in spite of or despite, we use a noun, a pronoun (this/that/what etc.) or ~ing:
* In spite of the rain, we enjoyed our holiday.
* I didn't get the job in spite of having all the necessary qualifications.
* She wasn't well, but in spite of this she went to work.
* In spite of what I said yesterday, I still love you.
Despite is the same as in spite of. Note that we say 'in spite of', but despite (without 'of'):
* She wasn't well, but despite this she went to work. (not 'despite of this')
You can say 'in spite of the fact (that)...' and 'despite the fact (that) ...':
* I didn't get the job in spite of the fact (that) I had all the necessary qualifications.
* I didn't get the job despite of the fact (that) I had all the necessary qualifications.
Compare in spite of and because of:
* We went out in spite of the rain. (or ... despite the rain.)
* We didn't go out because of the rain.
Compare although and in spite of/despite:
* Although the traffic was bad, I arrived on time. (not 'in spite of the traffic was bad')
In spite of the traffic, I arrived on time. (not 'in spite of the traffic was bad')
* I couldn't sleep although I was very tired. (not 'despite I was tired')
* I couldn't sleep despite being very tired. (not 'despite I was tired')
Sometimes we use though instead of although:
* I didn't get the job though I had all the necessary qualifications.
In spoken English we often use though at the end of a sentence:
* The house isn't very nice. I like the garden though. (= but I like the garden)
* I see him every day. I've never spoken to him though. (= but I've never spoken to him)
Even though (but not 'even' alone) is a stronger form of although:
* Even though I was really tired, I couldn't sleep. (not 'Even I was really tired ...')
EXERCISES
112.1 Complete the sentences. Use although + a sentence from the box.
I didn't speak the language
he has a very important job
I had never seen her before
we don't like them very much
it was quite cold, the heating was on
I'd met her twice before we've known each other for a long time]
1. _Although he has a very important job,_ he isn't articularly well-paid.
2. ---, I recognised her from a photograph.
3. She wasn't wearing a coat ---.
4. We thought we'd better invite them to the party ---.
5. ---, I managed to make myself understood.
6. ---, the room wasn't warm.
7. I didn't recognize her ---.
8. We're not very good friends ---.
112.2 Complete the sentences with although/in spite of/because/because of.
1. _Although_ it rained a lot, we enjoyed our holiday.
2. a. --- all our careful plans, a lot of things went wrong.
b. ---we had planned everything carefully, a lot of things went wrong.
3. a. I went home early --- I was feeling unwell.
b. I went to work the next day --- I was still feeling unwell.
4. a. She only accepted the job --- the salary, which was very high.
b. She accepted the job --- the salary, which was rather low.
5. a. I managed to get to sleep --- there was a lot of noise.
b. I couldn't get to sleep --- the noise.
Use your own ideas to complete the following sentences:
6. a. He passed the exam although .---.
b. He passed the exam because ---.
7. a. I didn't eat anything although ---.
b. I didn't eat anything in spite of ---.
112.3 Make one sentence from two. Use the word(s) in brackets in your sentences.
1. I couldn't sleep. I was tired. (despite). _I couldn't sleep despite being tired._
2. They have very little money. They are happy. (in spite of) In spite of ---.
3. My foot was injured. I managed to walk to the nearest village. (although)
4. I enjoyed the film. The story was silly. (in spite of)
5. We live in the same street. We hardly ever see each other. (despite)
6. I got very wet in the rain. I had an umbrella. (even though)
112.4 Use the words in brackets to make a sentence with though at the end.
1. The house isn't very nice. (like/garden) _I like the garden though._
2. It's quite warm. (a bit windy) ---.
3. We didn't like the food. (ate) ---.
4. Liz is very nice. (don't like/husband) I ---.
112.1
2 Although I had never seen her before
3 although it was quite cold
4 although we don't like them very much
5 Although I didn't speak the language
6 Although the heating was on
7 although I'd met her twice before
8 although we've known each other for a long time
112.2
2 a. In spite of b. Although
3 a. because b. although
4 a. because of b. in spite of
5 a. although b. because of
Example answers:
6 a. he didn't study very hard.
b. he studied very hard.
7 a. I was hungry.
b. being hungry/my hunger/the fact that I was hungry
112.3
2 In spite of having very little money, they are happy.
3 Although my foot was injured, I managed to walk to the nearest village. or I managed to walk to the nearest village although my ...
4 I enjoyed the film in spite of the silly story./... in spite of the story being silly./... in spite of the silliness of the
story./... in spite of the fact the story was silly. or In spite of ..., I enjoyed the film.
5 Despite living in the same street, we hardly ever see each other. or Despite the fact that we live in. or We hardly ever see each other despite ...
6 I got very wet in the rain even though I had an umbrella. or Even though I had an umbrella, I got ...
112.4
2 It's a bit windy though.
3 We ate it though.
4 I don't like her husband though.
