English — Concession: although / despite / in spite of
To concede a point — to say something is true even though it goes against what follows — English uses although / though / even though before a clause, and despite / in spite of before a noun or -ing form: Although it was raining, we went out vs. Despite the rain, we went out.
How it works
Use although / though / even though + a full clause (subject + verb): Although / Though / Even though he was tired, he kept working. Use despite / in spite of + a noun or -ing form (never a that-clause): Despite / In spite of being tired, he kept working. Even though is the most emphatic; though is the most informal and can also close a sentence: It was hard. I enjoyed it, though.
Examples
| Linker | Followed by | Example |
|---|---|---|
| although | clause (subject + verb) | Although it was expensive, we bought it. |
| even though | clause (stronger emphasis) | Even though she was ill, she came to work. |
| though | clause, or end position (informal) | It's a small flat. It's comfortable, though. |
| despite | noun or -ing form | Despite the traffic, we arrived on time. |
| in spite of | noun or -ing form (same as despite) | In spite of failing twice, he passed. |
| despite / in spite of the fact that | + clause (lets these take a subject + verb) | Despite the fact that it rained, the match went on. |
| whereas / while | clause — contrast, not concession | Tom is quiet, whereas his brother is loud. |
Good to know
Don't put a clause after despite / in spite of: not "despite it was raining" but Despite the rain / Despite it being cold / Despite the fact that it was raining. Note that despite has no of (say despite the rain, not "despite of the rain"), whereas in spite of always keeps of. Also keep contrast separate from concession: whereas / while set two facts side by side (Tom is quiet, whereas his brother is loud), while although concedes one fact against another.