Главная » Достоевский Ф.М. » Despite, in spite of: разница в употреблении предлогов. Despite – это не союз Несмотря на в английском языке

Despite, in spite of: разница в употреблении предлогов. Despite – это не союз Несмотря на в английском языке

Sometimes, differences in language do not boil down to a right and a wrong option. Style may dictate that one word or phrase is preferable to another, but neither is erroneous.

Such is the case with despite vs. in spite of . These phrases mean the same thing and are basically interchangeable, but one is probably a smarter choice for some writing contexts.

What is the Difference Between In Spite of and Despite?

In this article, I will compare the prepositions in spite of vs. despite . I will provide example sentences for both terms.

Plus, at the end, I will outline a helpful mnemonic that you can use to decide which one you should use in your own writing.

When to Use In Spite Of

What does in spite of mean? In spite of is a phrasal . It means unaffected by something . You can see the proper use of this phrase in the sentences below.

Congress passed the bill, in spite of frequent objections from vocal constituents.
In spite of being on a diet, I ate some mushroom risotto anyway.
My daughter went to the basement to get the cat food, in spite of her fears.
So the visitor returns thankful for much of what he has seen, and, in spite of everything, an optimist about what his country might be. –The Wall Street Journal

When to Use Despite

What does despite mean? Despite is also a preposition. Just like in spite of, it also means unaffected by something.

Here are some examples,

Despite the best efforts of those who would oppose me, I have emerged victorious.
Corey ordered a sausage and onion pizza, despite being vegan.
Arturo continued to argue, despite knowing that he was wrong.
Coal still produces almost three-quarters of China’s electricity, despite ambitious hydroelectric dam projects and the world’s largest program to install solar panels and build wind turbines. –The New York Times

Despite or In Spite Of? When to Use Each

In spite of and despite are both prepositional phrases, and they share the same definition. They are, for the most part, interchangeable.

As you can see from the following chart, in spite of was the preferred phrase in the 1800s and through the mid-20th century. Despite has enjoyed a recent surge in popularity, becoming the more commonly used term in roughly 1950.

This chart is not scientific in nature, and does not capture the entire spectrum of English usage. It only looks at books written since 1800. Still, it allows us to view a clear picture of long-term trends.

You can probably choose either term in your own writing. Academic and professional writing place value on brevity, making despite the more attractive option in these formal settings. In other contexts, you could choose to let the prosody of the sentence determine which phrase sounds more natural.

For formal writing, remember that despite and deft are each one-word phrases that begin with the letters de-. Since choosing despite is a deft move in formal writing, you can remember that this word is more appropriate in these settings.

Summary

Is it despite or in spite of? Despite and in spite of are prepositions that each mean unaffected by something . They are mostly interchangeable- despite has been more popular since around 1960.

Despite is a better choice for formal writing, where economy of words is important. You can remember that despite is a deft choice for these contexts, since both of those words begin with the letters de- .

If you need more help, you can always check this article for a quick refresher.

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Эти союзы в сложноподчиненном предложении переводятся одинаково, указывая на некий факт в противопоставлении с другим, и означают «хотя», «несмотря на то, что». В обычной, неформальной беседе though используется чаще.

Although I was tired, I couldn’t sleep. Хотя я и устал, я не мог заснуть.
Some people are happy though they don’t have money. Некоторые люди счастливы, несмотря на то, что у них нет денег.

Как наречие though может находиться в конце простого предложения.

She’s a bit weird. I like her though (= but I like her). Она немного странная. Но мне нравится.

2

Предлоги in spite of/despite несут тот же смысл, что и although/though , но придаточную часть не образуют и имеют при себе только существительное, местоимение или герундий.

We went out in spite of the rain (= although it was raining).
George helped us despite being busy. Джордж нам помог, несмотря на то, что был занят.
The exam was difficult. Despite this, I passed it. Экзамен был трудный. Несмотря на это, я его сдал.

Другими словами, in spite of/despite + object выступает как обстоятельство. Сравните:

He can’t drive although he has a car.
He can’t drive in spite of having a car (Неправильно: in spite of he has a car). Он не умеет водить, хотя у него есть машина.

Иногда союзы although/though заменяет конструкция in spite of/despite + the fact (that) , но она считается громоздкой и в разговорной речи почти не используется.

Emmie didn’t accept the job in spite of the fact that the salary was high. Эмми отказалась от работы, несмотря на тот факт, что зарплата была высокой.

3

Предлог because of противоположен по значению in spite of/despite . Союз because аналогично противоположен по значению although/though . Сравните:

We went out in spite of the rain. Мы вышли на улицу, несмотря на дождь.
We didn’t go out because of the rain. Мы не вышли на улицу из-за дождя.
I liked the hotel though it was expensive. Мне понравился отель, хотя он был дорогим.
I didn’t like the hotel because it was expensive. Мне не понравился отель, так как он был дорогим.

Do you know how to connect two contrasting ideas using although , even though , in spite of and despite ?

Look at these examples to see how although , even though , in spite of and despite are used.

Although we don"t agree, I think she"s a brilliant speaker.
Even though we don"t agree, I think she"s a brilliant speaker.
In spite of the law, people continue to use mobile phones while driving.
Despite the law, people continue to use mobile phones while driving.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar test 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

Although , even though , in spite of and despite are all used to link two contrasting ideas or show that one fact makes the other fact surprising. They can all be used at the beginning or in the middle of the sentence.

Despite the rain, we enjoyed the festival.
We enjoyed the festival, despite the rain.

The main difference between although , even though , in spite of and despite is that they are used with different structures.

in spite of / despite

After in spite of and despite , we use a noun, gerund (-ing form of a verb) or a pronoun.

They never made much money, in spite of their success.
In spite of the pain in his leg, he completed the marathon.
Despite having a headache, I had a great birthday.
The train was cancelled. In spite of that, we arrived on time.

Note that it is common to use in spite of and despite with the expression the fact that , followed by a subject and verb.

In spite of the fact that he worked very hard, he didn"t pass the exam.
Despite the fact that he worked very hard, he didn"t pass the exam.

although / even though

After although and even though , we use a subject and a verb. Even though is slightly stronger and more emphatic than although .

I enjoyed the course, although I would have liked more grammar practice.
Although we saw each other every day, we didn"t really know each other.
Even though she spoke very quietly, he understood every word.
She didn"t get the job, even though she had all the necessary qualifications.

though

Though can be used in the same way as although .

Though I wasn"t keen on the film, I thought the music was beautiful.

Though can also go at the end of the second phrase. This way of expressing contrasting ideas is most common in spoken English.

We waited ages for our food. The waiter was really nice, though.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar test 2

Language level

Intermediate: B1

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Comments

Why is there not a difference between "in spite of" and "despite", I"m not sure if I"ve just always known this wrong but they have different meanings to me.
I thought "in spite of" meant that you were doing something because of the other thing.
For example, if you were doing something in spite of the law, you are doing it because you are purposely trying to break the law.
Whereas, I thought despite meant you are doing something regardless of the other thing.
For example, if you are doing something despite the law, even though you know its illegal you do it anyway, but you are not doing it because you want to break the law.
I"m not sure how well I explained myself here but I think my confusion comes from the word "spite". If doing something "out of spite" means you are doing it out of annoyance, I guess I just thought that "in spite" meant a similar thing. I"m honestly just still confused, saying something like "The train was cancelled. In spite of that, we arrived on time" just doesn"t right to me because you didn"t arrive on time because you were annoyed about the train being cancelled.

Hello emma charles

"spite ", a kind of feeling, is something quite different from the word "spite" in the phrase "in spite of".

Perhaps in some varieties of English, there is a difference in meaning between "in spite of" and "despite", but as far as I know, they are synonyms in standard British English. It might be useful to check several dictionaries to see what they indicate.

The LearnEnglish Team

Dear sir,
I am having trouble choosing the right words to fill this blank:"If you sell your house before the end of this month, your taxes will be reduced by almost 30 percent …………..the sale of your home." I have to choose between despite and regardless of. But as far as my knowledge goes, these 2 words used quite similarly. Can you point out the difference between them?
Thankyou so much.
Wish you have a nice weekend^^

Hello Quynh Nhu,

Despite and regardless of are both followed by nouns (or gerunds) but there is a difference in the meaning.

Despite is used to show a contrast. If we say A happened despite B, then we mean that normally B would stop A or make it less likely. For example:

I got a loan from the bank despite not having a job.

Normally, not having a job would stop me from getting a bank loan, so the contrast/surprise is clear.

Regardless of does not show a contrast in the same way. Instead, it shows that a piece of information had no effect. For example:

She won"t like you regardless of how nice you are.

Here, the sentence means "it doesn"t matter how nice you are, she still won"t like you". It doesn"t tell us whether or not you are nice, just that it won"t make any difference.

If we use despite then the meaning changes:

She won"t like you despite how nice you are/

Now we know that you are nice, but it is not enough to make her like you.

In your example, I think both forms make sense. The choice is really dependent on the facts of the legal/taxation system and the expectations these create rather than the grammar of the sentence. If selling your house would make you expect to pay higher taxes then despite makes sense. If not, then regardles of would be more likely.

В данном посте мы рассмотрим, какую роль в предложении выполняет английское слово «» (несмотря на, вопреки ). Имея точно обозначенное значение и определенные правила употребления, «despite», тем не менее, часто используется ошибочно в качестве союза, а не предлога, которым является. Вот пример неверного использования «despite»:

I can’t force myself to read this book it is my homework. (though) – я не могу заставить себя прочитать эту книгу, хотя это мое домашнее задание.
Mary couldn’t utter a word at the exam she knew the answers. (though) – Мэри не могла вымолвить и слова на экзамене, несмотря на то, что знала ответ.
he was in our town he didn’t visit us. (though) – несмотря на то, что он был в нашем городе, он не зашел к нам.

В каждом из указанных примеров despite используется в качестве союза, а не предлога, как это должно быть. Вместо него в данном контексте подходят союз though.

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На самом деле слово «despite» является предлогом, за которым обычно следует именная фраза, и никогда не следует придаточное предложение. Оно указывает на то, несмотря на усилия, факты или доводы желаемый результат все же не был достигнут. Вот примеры правильного употребления:

Despite objections of her husband Jane invited her friends to the party. – несмотря на возражения своего мужа, Джейн пригласила своих друзей на вечеринку.
John was blamed in stealing money despite the fact he wasn’t guilty. – Джон был обвинен в воровстве денег несмотря на то, что был невиновен.
Despite her effort mother couldn’t make a pudding. – несмотря на свои усилия, мама не смогла приготовить пудинг.
Tom and Jack decided to go hiking despite unfavorable weather forecast. – Том и Джек решили отправиться в поход, несмотря на неблагоприятный прогноз погоды.
She married that man despite my pleading not to do that. – она вышла замуж за этого человека, несмотря на мои мольбы не делать этого.

В каждом из указанных примеров despite руководит существительным: objections, fact, effort, pleading и т.п. Необходимо запомнить, что с «despite» никогда не начинается придаточное предложение и что его нельзя заменить союзом though.

Despite не следует путать с «in his despite », т.к. в этом случае перевод будет «назло ему »:

I said it in his/her despite. – я сказал это ему/ей назло.

В определенных контекстах вместо despite можно употреблять его синонимы – это in spite of (несмотря на), in defiance of (вопреки), irrespective of (независимo от), notwithstanding (несмотря на), regardless of (невзирая на), without regard for (не учитывая), without regard to (не принимая во внимание).

Изучите следующую ситуацию:

Last year Paul and Joanne had a holiday by the sea. It rained a lot, but they enjoyed themselves.

Год назад Пол и Джоанна были в отпуске у моря. Часто шёл дождь, но они хорошо провели время.

Вы можете сказать:

Although it rained a lot, they enjoyed themselves. (= It rained a lot, but they ...)

Несмотря на то, что часто шёл дождь , они хорошо провели время.

In spite of
Despite

the rain , they enjoyed themselves.

После although (хотя; несмотря на то, что) мы используем подлежащее + сказуемое :

Although it rained a lot, we enjoyed our holiday.
I didn’t get the job although I had
Я не получил работу, хотя обладал необходимой квалификацией.

Сравните значение although и because :

We went out although it was raining.
Мы пошли гулять несмотря на то, что шел дождь.
We didn’t go out because it was raining.
Мы не пошли гулять, потому что шел дождь.

После in spite of или despite (= несмотря на), мы используем существительное , местоимение (this/that/what и др.) или -ing :

In spite of the rain , we enjoyed our holiday.
I didn’t get the job in spite of having the necessary qualifications.
She wasn’t well, but in spite of this she went to work.
Она нехорошо себя чувствовала, но несмотря на это она пошла на работу.
In spite of what I said yesterday, I still love you.
Несмотря на то, что я вчера сказал, я по-прежнему тебя люблю.

Despite это то же, что и in spite of . Мы говорим in spite of , но despite (без of):

She wasn’t well, but despite this she went to work. (not despite of this)

Вы можете сказать in spite of the fact (that) ... и despite the fact (that) ... :

I didn’t get the job in spite of the fact (that)
I didn’t get the job despite the fact (that) I had the necessary qualifications.

Сравните in spite of и because of :

We went out in spite of the rain . (or ... despite the rain . - несмотря на дождь)
We didn’t go out because of the rain . (из-за дождя)

Сравните although и in spite of / despite :

Although the traffic was bad, we arrived on time. (not In spite of the traffic was bad)
In spite of the traffic , we arrived on time.
Несмотря на пробки , мы прибыли вовремя.
I couldn’t sleep although I was very tired. (not despite I was tired)
I couldn’t sleep despite being very tired.
Я не мог уснуть несмотря на то, что очень устал.

Иногда мы используем though вместо although :

I didn’t get the job though I had the necessary qualifications.

В разговорном английском мы часто используем though в конце предложения:

The house isn’t very nice. I like the garden though . (= but I like the garden)
Дом не очень хороший, хотя сад мне нравится.
I see them every day. I’ve never spoken to them though . (= but I’ve never spoken to them)
Я вижу их каждый день, хотя никогда с ними не разговаривал.

Even though (но не просто ‘even’) – более сильная форма, чем although :

Even though I was really tired, I couldn’t sleep. (not Even I was really tired ...)
Даже не смотря на то, что я очень устал, я не мог уснуть.

Упражнения

1. Закончите предложения. Используйте although + предложение из рамочки.

I didn’t speak the language
I had never seen her before
it was quite cold
I’d met her twice before

he has a very important job
we don’t like them very much
the heating was on
we’ve known each other a long time

, he isn’t particularly well-paid.
, I recognised her from a photograph.
She wasn’t wearing a coat
We thought we’d better invite them to the party
, I managed to make myself understood.
, the room wasn’t warm.
I didn’t recognise her
We’re not very good friends

2. Закончите предложения, выбрав although / in spite of / because / because of.