Look at these examples to see how although, even though, in spite of and despite are used.
Although we don't agree, I think she's a brilliant speaker.
Even though we don't agree, I think she's a brilliant speaker.
In spite of the law, people continue to use mobile phones while driving.
Despite the law, people continue to use mobile phones while driving.
It's illegal to use mobile phones while driving. People still do it, though.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
Read the explanation to learn more.
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.
in spite of / despite
After in spite of and despite, we use a noun, gerund (-ing form of a verb) or a pronoun.
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.
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 I wasn't keen on the film, I thought the music was beautiful.
Though can also go at the end of the second phrase. This way of expressing contrasting ideas is most common in spoken English.
We waited ages for our food. The waiter was really nice, though.
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
Hello Leen,
The sentence is fine. It's not old age in general which you are talking about, but your grandma's old age. The use of 'her' makes' this clear.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Marianapr,
You can use these interchangeably as there is no difference in meaning or grammatical structure between them. Both are on the formal side, but I would say that 'despite' is a little more formal than 'in spite of'.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello zulquadah,
The material on LearnEnglish is available free of charge, so you can continue using this as long as you wish. You can find material on different areas and at different levels using the search function at the top of each page.
In my experience the best way to develop language skills is to use the language, so try to find opportunities where you like to practise. Interaction with tourists or visitors to your country, for example, or even just practising with your friends can be very helpful. Reading is also very important. You'll pick up new vocabulary but also develop a feel for things like word order, natural phrasing and so on. There are plenty of sites online with free ebooks, such as Project Gutenberg:
http://www.gutenberg.org/
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Olzhas
I would recommend you visit TakeIELTS, where you will find loads of information and even some free practice materials. I'm sure you can also find some useful posts on our Facebook page. I'd also recommend keeping your eye on our FutureLearn course Understanding IELTS.
Good luck!
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team