Grammar

Contrast Clauses

Contrast connectors signal that two ideas clash. 'Although', 'though', and 'even though' introduce clauses, while 'despite' and 'in spite of' are followed by a noun or gerund.

Post

Level B2 Clauses

Summary

Contrast connectors signal that two ideas clash. 'Although', 'though', and 'even though' introduce clauses, while 'despite' and 'in spite of' are followed by a noun or gerund.

Structure

although/though/even though + clause ; despite / in spite of + noun / -ing

Examples

Although it was raining, we went for a walk.
Despite the rain, we went for a walk.
She passed in spite of not studying much.
He's very generous, though he isn't rich.

Common mistakes

• Following 'despite' with a clause: 'despite it was late' should be 'despite the late hour' or 'although it was late'.
• Writing 'despite of', which is not standard; use 'in spite of' or 'despite'.

More clauses

Relative Clauses (Defining) B1

Use defining relative clauses to give essential information that identifies which person or thing you mean. Use who for people, which for things, and that for both. No commas are used.

Reported Speech B2

Use reported speech to tell someone what another person said without quoting their exact words. Tenses usually shift back, and pronouns and time expressions often change.

Reported Statements B1

Reported statements relay what someone said without quoting them directly. Tenses usually shift back one step, and pronouns and time expressions change to fit the new viewpoint.

Reported Questions B2

Reported questions turn a direct question into a statement-order clause. Yes/no questions use 'if' or 'whether', and there is no inversion or question mark in the reported form.

Reported Commands and Requests B2

Commands and requests are reported with a verb plus an object and a to-infinitive. Negative commands use 'not to' before the verb.

Reporting Verbs and Patterns C1

Beyond 'say' and 'tell', many reporting verbs summarise the function of what was said. Each follows its own grammatical pattern, such as verb + gerund, verb + object + infinitive, or verb + that-clause.

External links

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