What's the Difference Between 'Despite' and 'In Spite Of'?
In this blog post we look at when to use despite and when to use in spite of.
'Despite' or 'In Spite Of'?
Despite and in spite of are similar in meaning and can often be used interchangeably in a sentence to express a contrast between two things. However, they are not always interchangeable and have some differences in usage.
Despite is typically used as a conjunction, while in spite of is used as a preposition. This means that despite is usually followed by a verb, while in spite of is usually followed by a noun.
Despite is more common and is used more frequently in spoken and written English. In spite of is a slightly more formal alternative and is used more often in written English.
In general, despite and in spite of can be used to express a contrast between two things, but it is important to pay attention to the grammatical structure of the sentence and use the appropriate conjunction or preposition.
Here are some examples to illustrate the difference between despite and in spite of:
Despite the rain, we went for a walk. (Here, despite is used as a conjunction and is followed
by the verb "went.")
In spite of the rain, we went for a walk. (Here, in spite of is used as a preposition and is followed by the noun "rain.")
Despite her busy schedule, she made time to visit her grandparents. (Here, despite is used as a conjunction and is followed by the verb "made.")
In spite of her busy schedule, she made time to visit her grandparents. (Here, in spite of is used as a preposition and is followed by the noun "schedule.")
Despite the fact that it was late, he decided to finish the project. (Here, despite is used as a conjunction to show that the late hour did not prevent him from finishing the project.)
In spite of the fact that it was late, he decided to finish the project. (Here, in spite of is used as a preposition to show that the late hour did not prevent him from finishing the project.)
Examples of Despite in a Sentence
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Despite the cold weather, we decided to go on a hike.
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Despite her busy schedule, she made time to visit her grandparents.
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Despite the fact that it was late, he decided to finish the project.
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Despite the challenges, he never gave up on his dream.
-
Despite the long journey, he was determined to visit every single country on his list.
-
Despite the bad weather, we decided to go on the hike.
-
Despite the initial doubts, she decided to try the new restaurant and ended up loving it.
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Despite the overwhelming odds, she never gave up on her dream.
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Despite the tough competition, he remained confident and ultimately won the championship.
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Despite the setbacks, the team was able to come up with a successful plan.
Examples of In Spite Of in a Sentence
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In spite of the cold weather, we decided to go on a hike.
-
In spite of her busy schedule, she made time to visit her grandparents.
-
In spite of the fact that it was late, he decided to finish the project.
-
In spite of the challenges, he never gave up on his dream.
-
In spite of the long journey, he was determined to visit every single country on his list.
-
In spite of the bad weather, we decided to go on the hike.
-
In spite of the initial doubts, she decided to try the new restaurant and ended up loving it.
-
In spite of the overwhelming odds, she never gave up on her dream.
-
In spite of the tough competition, he remained confident and ultimately won the championship.
-
In spite of the setbacks, the team was able to come up with a successful plan.
