NEB grade 12 unit 5 Uses of "Although," "Though," "Even Though," and "Despite/In Spite Of"

Uses of "Although," "Though," "Even Though," and "Despite/In Spite Of"

These words are used to express contrast or to introduce information that seems to oppose the main idea. Both sets are used to show that something is true despite another fact or condition.

In detail 

The definitions and usage for although, though, even though, despite, and in spite of:

1.     Although

·  Definition: Used to introduce a contrast or concession, indicating that something is true despite the other statement.

·        Example: Although it was raining, we went for a walk.
It introduces a contrast between the rain and the walk, highlighting that the rain didn't prevent the walk.

2.     Though

·        Definition: Similar to "although," it introduces a contrast or concession. It can also be used at the end of a sentence for emphasis.

·        Example: She is very talented, though she is still learning.
It shows a contrast between her talent and the fact that she's still learning.

·        At the end: I was tired. I went to the party, though.
Here, "though" emphasizes the contradiction with the speaker's tiredness.

3.     Even though

· Definition: Stronger than "although" and "though," it introduces a more emphatic contrast or concession.

·        Example: Even though he was sick, he finished his work.
It emphasizes the strength of the contrast between being sick and finishing the work.

4.     Despite

·       Definition: A preposition used to introduce a contrast or concession, indicating that something happened regardless of the circumstance.

·        Example: Despite the rain, we decided to go hiking.
It shows that the rain didn't stop the decision to hike.

5.     In spite of

·    Definition: Similar to "despite," it is also a prepositional phrase used to express contrast or concession.

·        Example: In spite of his efforts, he couldn’t win the race.
It conveys that his efforts were not enough to win, highlighting the contrast.

Summary of Key Differences

• Although/Though/Even though: These are conjunctions that link two clauses, showing contrast or concession.
• Despite/In spite of: These are prepositions that are used with nouns or gerunds to show contrast.

 

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1. Although / Though / Even Though

These conjunctions are used to show contrast between two ideas in a sentence. They are often interchangeable, but there are subtle differences.

• Although and Though are used in the middle or beginning of a sentence.
• Even Though is a stronger form and emphasizes the contrast more clearly.

Examples:

1.      Although it was raining, we decided to go for a walk.

2.      Though she was tired, she finished her work.

3.      Even though he studied hard, he didn't pass the exam. (Stronger contrast than "although")

4.      Although he was late, he managed to catch the train.

5.      Though the movie was boring, I stayed until the end.

6.      Even though it was his birthday, he didn't want a big party.

7.      Although the restaurant was expensive, the food was not very good.

8.      Though I had no money, I still bought the book.

9.      Even though she practiced every day, she didn’t win the competition.

10. Although I like tea, I prefer coffee in the morning.

2. Despite / In Spite Of

These are prepositions, meaning they are followed by a noun or a gerund (verb+ing). They also show contrast and are often used in a similar way to "although" and "though."

• Despite is more formal than in spite of, but both are used to show that something happens even though there is an obstacle or contrast.

Examples:

1.      Despite the rain, we went for a walk.

2.      In spite of being tired, she stayed up late to finish her homework.

3.      Despite his efforts, he couldn’t lift the heavy box.

4.      In spite of the high price, the concert was amazing.

5.      Despite her lack of experience, she got the job.

6.      In spite of studying hard, he failed the test.

7.      Despite the weather, we went on the hike.

8.      In spite of feeling nervous, he gave a great speech.

9.      Despite the traffic, they arrived on time.

10. In spite of the difficulties, they managed to complete the project.

Key Differences

• Although/Though/Even though: Used as conjunctions to connect two clauses, often at the beginning or middle of the sentence.
• Despite/In spite of: Prepositions followed by a noun or gerund, used to indicate contrast.

Fill in the blanks with the correct word:

1.      __________ it was raining, we decided to go for a walk.

2.      She passed the test __________ she didn't study much.

3.      __________ the fact that he was tired, he finished his homework.

4.      We went to the beach __________ the weather wasn't great.

5.      __________ he is allergic to cats, he adopted one.

6.      They enjoyed the trip __________ it was very expensive.

7.      __________ working hard, she couldn’t finish the project on time.

8.      I decided to go for a jog __________ feeling sick.

9.      __________ the bad weather, the event was a huge success.

10. __________ she was young, she was very mature for her age.

11. He enjoyed the movie __________ it was quite long.

12. __________ the traffic, they arrived at the party on time.

13. __________ he has no experience, he got the job.

14. I didn't go to the party __________ being invited.

15. __________ her busy schedule, she still found time to volunteer.

16. He ate all the cake __________ he wasn’t very hungry.

17. __________ I was late, I managed to catch the bus.

18. __________ the obstacles, they finished the race.

19. She didn’t attend the meeting __________ being the team leader.

20. __________ the difficult circumstances, they managed to succeed.

 

Answer

1.      Although it was raining, we decided to go for a walk.

2.      She passed the test even though she didn't study much.

3.      Despite the fact that he was tired, he finished his homework.

4.      We went to the beach despite the weather wasn't great.

5.      Although he is allergic to cats, he adopted one.

6.      They enjoyed the trip despite it was very expensive.

7.      Although working hard, she couldn’t finish the project on time.

8.      I decided to go for a jog despite feeling sick.

9.      Despite the bad weather, the event was a huge success.

10. Though she was young, she was very mature for her age.

11. He enjoyed the movie even though it was quite long.

12. Despite the traffic, they arrived at the party on time.

13. Although he has no experience, he got the job.

14. I didn't go to the party despite being invited.

15. In spite of her busy schedule, she still found time to volunteer.

16. He ate all the cake even though he wasn’t very hungry.

17. Although I was late, I managed to catch the bus.

18. In spite of the obstacles, they finished the race.

19. She didn’t attend the meeting despite being the team leader.

20. In spite of the difficult circumstances, they managed to succeed.

B. Join the following pairs of sentences twice, using although/though/even though and despite/in spite of as in the example.

a. He is a millionaire. He lives in a simple house.

– Although he is a millionaire, he lives in a simple house.
– Despite of being a millionaire, he lives in a simple house.

b. The weather was extremely bad. The pilot landed the plane safely.

– In spite of extremely bad weather, the pilot landed the plane safely.
– Although the weather was extremely bad, the pilot landed the plane safely.

c. We study in the same college. We hardly see each other.

– Despite studying in the same college, we hardly see each other.
– Although we study in the same college, we hardly see each other.

d. It rained heavily. We enjoyed our holiday.

– Although it rained heavily, we enjoyed our holiday.
– In spite of the heavy rain, we enjoyed our holiday.

e. I had an umbrella. I got wet in the rain.

– Despite having an umbrella, I got wet in the rain.
– Although I had an umbrella, I got wet in the rain.

f. I was really tired. I could not sleep for a moment.

– Although I was really tired, I could not sleep for a moment.
– I couldn’t sleep despite being very tired.

g. She has a very good accent in English. She failed the interview of a newsreader.

– Despite having a very good accent in English, she failed the interview of a newsreader.
– Although she has a very good accent in English, she failed the interview of a newsreader.

h. Lhasa has extremely cold weather in winter. Millions of tourists go there in January.

– Millions of tourists go to Lhasa in January, even though it has extremely cold weather in winter.
– Despite having extremely cold weather in winter, millions of tourists go to Lhasa in January.

i. He was badly injured in the first round of the boxing match. He was victorious in the third round.

– In spite of being badly injured in the first round of the boxing match, he was victorious in the third round.
– Although he was badly injured in the first round of the boxing match, he was victorious in the third round.

C. Complete each sentence in an appropriate way.

a. He passed the exam although he hadn’t prepared well.

b. She climbed the mountain in spite of her leg injury.

c. He did not give any alms to the beggars even though he earned a lot.

d. In spite of his poor eyesight, he is conducting online courses.

e She does not go to parties, though she is very sociable.

f. He could not pass the test, in spite of his ten attempts.

g. He refused to eat anything despite having an appetite.

h. He could not score goods grades in the SEE exams in spite of his hard with private coaching.

i. She accepted the job although she couldn’t meet her salary expectation.

j. Even though we had planned everything carefully, we could not complete our mission.

Critical Thinking

a. APJ Abdul Kalam became a renowned aerospace scientist in his later life. Do you find any association of his childhood days in shaping his career? Explain with specific instances from the text.

APJ Abdul Kalam, who later became a renowned aerospace scientist and the President of India, had a childhood that strongly influenced his career. Even as a child, he was curious, hardworking, and eager to learn, which shaped his future achievements.

Kalam was born in a small town in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. Despite growing up in a modest family, he showed great interest in learning from an early age. He loved reading books, especially about science and technology. This habit of reading and exploring new ideas gave him a strong foundation for his future career in aerospace.

Another important aspect of his childhood was his curiosity and observation of the world. He often asked questions and tried to find answers, showing his scientific mindset. For example, he would observe birds and airplanes, thinking about how they fly. These early observations later inspired his work in aeronautics and rocket science.

Kalam also learned the values of discipline, honesty, and dedication from his parents and teachers. These values became the guiding principles of his life. Even when faced with difficulties, he never gave up and continued to work hard, which eventually led him to contribute to India’s missile program and space research.

In conclusion, APJ Abdul Kalam’s childhood experiences, including his curiosity, love for learning, and strong values, played a key role in shaping his career. His early life laid the foundation for him to become one of India’s greatest scientists and an inspirational figure for millions.

b. Kalam mentions an instance of discrimination against him in his school life. What picture of society does he want to depict by mentioning the incident? Discuss.

In his autobiography, APJ Abdul Kalam mentions an instance of discrimination during his school life. Once, when he went to a shop to buy something, the shopkeeper refused to serve him because of his humble background. By sharing this incident, Kalam wants to show the harsh reality of the society in which people are judged by their caste, family status, or wealth rather than their character or abilities.

This incident reflects a society that is divided and unfair. People from poor or modest backgrounds often face disrespect and exclusion, while those from wealthy or high-status families receive preference. Kalam’s experience shows that social discrimination was common, even in small daily activities like buying goods from a shop. It also highlights how society limits opportunities for talented and hardworking individuals just because of their social identity.

However, Kalam uses this incident to emphasize the importance of determination, hard work, and self-belief. Despite facing discrimination, he did not lose hope or feel discouraged. Instead, he focused on his education, nurtured his curiosity, and continued striving to achieve his dreams.

In conclusion, by mentioning this incident, Kalam paints a picture of a society that is unjust and biased. At the same time, he inspires readers to rise above social discrimination through perseverance, education, and dedication. His life teaches us that talent and hard work can overcome societal barriers.

Writing

Write a short autobiography featuring your childhood life using the following guidelines.

My Autobiography

My name is Gita Ghimire, and I was born in Nawalparasi, Nepal. I spent my childhood in a small, peaceful village where life was simple and joyful. From an early age, I was curious and loved learning new things. I enjoyed reading storybooks and exploring nature around my village.

I come from a modest family. My parents worked hard to provide me with a good education. They always encouraged me to study well and be honest and disciplined. I remember helping my mother in the kitchen and my father in the fields during my free time. These experiences taught me the value of hard work and responsibility.

At school, I was a diligent student. I loved subjects like English and Science, and I often participated in cultural programs and competitions. I also made many friends, and we enjoyed playing together after school.

My childhood shaped me into a hardworking and curious person. It gave me strong values, discipline, and a love for learning that continues to guide me in my life. I hope to achieve my dreams and make my family proud while contributing positively to society.