Search Content

English Bites!

engbites1English Bites! are practical, bite-sized tips to help you improve your English for work. Published twice a week, the articles include useful advice covering different aspects of business English including grammar, vocabulary, writing, speaking as well as fun topics. It'll take just a few minutes to read each tip. You can subscribe to English Bites! from the Newsletters link above. After that, you'll receive notifications of all new tips by email.

“Although” vs “Though” vs “Despite” vs “In Spite of”

25 Jul 2024

buswriting12All these words/phrases are similar in meaning. They all serve to record something that is surprising or unexpected. But the difference in usage is that although, though and even though are all conjunctions, whilst in spite of and despite are both prepositions.


So usage requires:

  • although + clause
  • though + clause
  • despite + noun/noun phrase
  • inspite of + noun/noun phrase

Although and though can be used in the same way. Though is more common in informal speech and writing, whereas although can be used in a wide variety of styles. Also, though is more commonly used in American English.


Compare:

Our new neighbours are quite nice, though their children are rather noisy.


She insisted on keeping her coat on, although it was very warm in the house.


Although she was commended for completing the project on time and within budget, management felt that it was now time for a new person with different talents to take over.


Though is often used with even in order to give emphasis:

I managed to get good results in my exams, even though I went out four times a week when I was supposed to be revising.


Whilst despite might be thought more formal than in spite of - it is, after all, one word rather than three - there is really very little difference in usage between the two:

Despite the terrible weather, they succeeded in walking to the top of the mountain


They decided to get married in spite of the big difference in their ages.
 

Casual Questioning and Answering

Improving Readability Using Linking Words and Phrases

Business Small Talk: Listen, Respond and Ask for more Information

Questions to Dr English 5

When to Start a New Paragraph

Business Grammar: Noun + Preposition Combinations

Leaving Voice-mail Messages

Business Vocabulary: Common Financial Terms

Common Errors in Business Documents

Analysis of Business Writing 3

Questions to Dr English 2

Guidelines for Using the Hyphen (-)

Questions to the Editor 4

Welcoming Business Visitors

Simplified English Jokes!

How to Fix Run-on Sentences

How to Fix Incomplete Sentences

Idioms of Time

Analysis of Business Writing 4

Menu