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What is In spite of in English? How to use In spite of in English!

In spite of is one of the familiar conjunctions in English. So, what is In spite of in English? How is the In spite of in English structure used? Let's delve into the details of In spite of in English and how to use it in today's article with PREP!

What is In spite of? The usage of In spite of in English

I. What is In spite of in English?

What is In spite of in English? According to the Oxford dictionary, In spite of is pronounced as /ɪn spaɪt əv/. It is a conjunction in English that indicates concession or contrast between two clauses:

What is In spite of in English	Example
In spite of something	In spite of the heavy rain, they decided to go ahead with their outdoor picnic. He pursued his dream of becoming an artist in spite of his family's objections. In spite of the long working hours, she managed to meet all the deadlines.
In spite of oneself: although one did not want or expect to do so	In spite of himself, he found his foot tapping to the rhythm of the catchy song. In spite of herself, she blurted out the secret she had been keeping for so long. In spite of himself, he couldn't stop his heart from racing when he saw her walking towards him.

So you have already found the answer to the question "What is In spite of in English?" with PREP, right? With the above meanings, use them appropriately in English contexts!

II. The structure of In spite of in English

So, how to use In spite of in English? What is the structure of In spite of in English? Let's grasp the following formulas for In spite of in English!

Structure of In spite of in English

Example

In spite of N/ V-ing, S + V.

(The two clauses can be reversed)

In spite of being exhausted from work, he went to the gym and had an intense workout.
She managed to stay calm in spite of facing a difficult situation.
In spite of his lack of experience, he took on the challenge and succeeded beyond expectations.

In spite of the fact that S + V, S + V.

(The two clauses can be reversed)

In spite of the fact that she had limited resources, she managed to create a successful business.
They continued to work hard in spite of the fact that they faced numerous obstacles along the way.
In spite of the fact that it was late at night, they decided to go out for a walk.

Note:

After "In spite of," only a noun, noun phrase, or equivalent grammatical elements can be used. It cannot directly be used with a clause.
If you want to use a clause after "In spite of," you need to add the phrase "the fact that" to form an adverbial clause.

For example:

In spite of receiving mixed reviews, the movie became a box office success. ➡ CORRECT
In spite of the fact that the movie received mixed reviews, it became a box office success. ➡ CORRECT
In spite of the movie receiving mixed reviews, it became a box office success. ➡ INCORRECT

III. Equivalent structures to In spite of in English

In addition to the conjunction In spite of, we can flexibly use other equivalent phrases to express various situations in English. Let's look at some equivalent structures to In spite of in English!

1. Despite

"Despite" is similar to the In spite of in English. Therefore, you can use Despite as a replacement for In spite of in English in all cases.

Structure

Example

Despite N/ V-ing, S + V.

(The two clauses can be reversed)

Despite the heavy rain, they continued with their outdoor events.
Despite feeling tired, she managed to complete her work on time.

Despite the fact that S + V, S + V.

(The two clauses can be reversed)

Despite the fact that they were running late, they still stopped to help a stranded motorist.
Despite the fact that it was a long journey, they enjoyed every moment of the road trip.

2. Although/ Although/ Even though

Although/Though/Even though has the same meaning as In spite of in English. However, the structure following Although/Though/Even though can directly be used with a clause. Specifically:

Although/ Although/ Even though structure	Example
S + V, although/ though/ even though S + V	She went for a run, although she was tired from a long day at work. He decided to pursue his passion in art, even though his family wanted him to pursue a traditional career.
Although/ Though/ Even though S + V, S + V	Even though he had studied for hours, he still struggled with the exam. Though she was afraid of heights, she climbed to the top of the mountain.

IV. How to convert between the structure of Although and In spite of in English

To convert a sentence from the structure of Although to In spite of in English, you need to understand the general principles of sentence conversion as follows:

Although + Clause ➡ In spite of + N/ V-ing

Depending on the clause in Although, it corresponds to the structure conversion formula to In spite of in English as follows:

Case	How to change structure	Example
Although + N + be + adj	Place the adjective before the noun, then remove the verb "to be": Although + N + be + adj ➡ In spite of + a/an/the + adj + N	Although it was a long journey, they enjoyed the road trip. ➡ In spite of the long journey, they enjoyed the road trip. Although the weather was unfavorable, they continued with their outdoor event. ➡ In spite of the unfavorable weather, they continued with their outdoor events.
Although + S + pronoun + be + adj	Change the adjective to a noun form and remove the verb "to be": Although + pronouns + be + adj ➡ In spite of + N	Although she was nervous, she delivered a flawless performance on stage. ➡ In spite of her nervousness, she delivered a flawless performance on stage. Although he was tired, he went to the party. ➡ In spite of his tiredness, he went to the party.
When the subjects of two clauses in a sentence are the same	Remove the subject and convert the verb to the V-ing form: Although + S + V ➡ In spite of + V-ing	Although they faced criticism, they remained confident in their work. ➡ In spite of facing criticism, they remain confident in their work. Although it was challenging, he kept pushing forward. ➡ In spite of being challenging, he kept pushing forward.

Let's master the conversion between the structure of Although to In spite of to use of proper grammar in English!

V. Exercise using In spite of in English with answers

Exercise: Rewrite the sentence using In spite of

1. Although they faced many obstacles, they never gave up.
2. Although the exam was difficult, he managed to pass with flying colors.
3. Although the team was trailing behind, they fought back and won the game.
4. Although it was a small budget film, it received critical acclaim.
5. Although he had little support, he pursued his dreams relentlessly.
6. Although he was tired, he continued studying for the exam.
7. Although it was raining, they went for a walk in the park.
8. Although she was busy, she found time to help her friend.
9. Although it was challenging, he kept pushing forward.
10. Although they were running late, they managed to catch the train.
11. Although the car broke down, they still reached their destination.
12. Although she was nervous, she gave a great presentation.
13. Although it was expensive, they decided to buy the house.

14. Although they were warned about the danger, they went ahead with their adventure. stayed up to finish the report.

15. Although the prices were high, they decided to splurge on a fancy dinner.
Answer:

1. In spite of the obstacles they faced, they never gave up.

2. In spite of the difficulty of the exam, he managed to pass with flying colors.

3. In spite of being behind, the team fought back and won the game.

4. In spite of its small budget, the film received critical acclaim.

5. In spite of the lack of support, he pursued his dreams relentlessly.

6. In spite of being tired, he continued studying for the exam.

7. In spite of the rain, they went for a walk in the park.

8. In spite of being busy, she found time to help her friend.

9. In spite of being challenging, he kept pushing forward.

10. In spite of running late, they managed to catch the train.

11. In spite of the car breaking down, they still reached their destination.

12. In spite of being nervous, she gave a great presentation.

13. In spite of being expensive, they decided to buy the house.

14. In spite of being warned about the danger, they went ahead with their adventure.

15. In spite of the prices being high, they decided to splurge on a fancy dinner.

So, you already know "What is In spite of in English?" and "How to use In spite of in English?", right? This article has compiled all the theoretical knowledge about In spite of in English and provided common equivalent structures in English. PREP hopes this will be a useful reference for effectively studying and preparing for exams!

Master Tu Pham

Founder/CEO at Prep

Mr. Tú Phạm is the founder of PREP, a Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of teaching and test preparation experience, he has assisted thousands of students in achieving high scores on the IELTS exam. Additionally, Mr. Tú Phạm serves as a consultant for British Council programs and as a speaker at numerous premier education events, programs, and seminars.