Expressing contrastIntegrated Writing Task

• In spite of / despite•Although / even though /

though

in spite of / despite

We use them to express contrast. They are synonyms.

Remember! In spite is followed by “of”

• In spite of/ despite + v-ing, clause (subject +verb)

• Example: In spite of/despite revising for hours, I didn’t do well in the test.

• In spite of/ despite + noun phrase, clause (subject +verb)• Example: Despite my

revision, I didn’t do well in the test.

• We can also put in spite of / despite in the middle of a sentence (use commas)

• I didn’t do well in the test, despite revising for hours.

Although/ even though / though• We use them to express that the result

of something was unexpected • Even though is stronger than

although/though.• I enjoyed the party, even though/

although/though I didn’t like the music.• (My not liking the music was not

expected at first)

• FORM• ALTHOUGH + CLAUSE (subject +

verb), CLAUSE (subject + verb)

• Although it was cloudy, we went to the beach.

Use the appropriate linker:

•……. my warnings, he went to North Korea.•Despite/ in spite of my

warnings, he went to North Korea.

• … she didn’t feel like going to the cinema, she enjoyed the film in the end.

• Even though/although she didn’t feel like going to the cinema, she enjoyed the film in the end.

• They visited Paris, ………. they didn’t have time to visit the Eiffel Tower.

• They visited Paris, even though/although they didn’t have time to visit the Eiffel Tower.

• She decided to go abroad for a year, ……… not speaking the language very well.• She decided to go abroad for a

year, despite/in spite of not speaking the language very well.