in spite of / despite / although

 

in spite of / despite / although

In spite of, despite and although are all used to show a contrast but there are differences in the structures used with them.

In spite of / despite

After in spite of and despite we use a noun or a pronoun.

• We enjoyed our camping holiday in spite of the rain.
• Despite the pain in his leg he completed the marathon.
• Despite having all the necessary qualifications, they didn’t offer me the job.

Remember that the gerund (‘-ing’ form) is the ‘noun’ form of a verb.

The only difference between in spite of and despite is the ‘of’.

• Despite of the bad weather, there was a large crowd at the match.

Although

After although we use a subject and a verb.

• We enjoyed our camping holiday although it rained every day.
• Although he worked very hard, he didn’t manage to pass the exam.
• The holiday was great although the hotel wasn’t very nice.

We can use in spite of and despite with a subject and verb if we include the expression ‘the fact that’.

• In spite of the fact that he worked very hard, he didn’t manage to pass the exam.
• Despite the fact that he worked very hard, he didn’t manage to pass the exam.

Even though

Even though is a slightly stronger form of although.

• We decided to buy the house even though we didn’t really have enough money.
• You keep making that stupid noise even though I’ve asked you to stop three times.

Like although, even though is followed by a subject and a verb.

although - even though / despite - in spite of

although - even though / despite - in spite of

Complete the sentences below with although - despite - in spite of.(The answers are at the end of the page.)

1.      ___________ the weather was bad, we enjoyed our trip.

2.      The children slept well ____________ the noise.

3.      ________________ earning a low salary, Linda gave money to her parents.

4.      John rarely sees Paul ___________ they live in the same town.

5.      Julie failed the exam ____________ of working very hard.

6.      ____________ it was cold, she didn't put on her coat.

7.     Tom went to work ___________ not feeling very well.

8.      Anna never learned the language ___________ she lived there for two years.

9.      ____________ of the difficulty, they managed to climb to the top of the mountain.

10.    I couldn't eat _____________ I was very hungry.

                 

Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses and Appositives

Restrictive clauses limit the meaning of a noun or pronoun, so they are not set off by commas. 

Example:  My father told the woman who called yesterday that I was not home.

Nonrestrictive clauses supply additional information but are not essential to the sentence’s meaning, so they are set off by commas.

Example:  My father told Mary, the woman who called yesterday, that I was not home.

In each of the following sentences, label the imbedded clause as restrictive or nonrestricitve and add commas accordingly.

            Example: 

Restrictive à  The teacher decided to give the students who failed a second chance.

Nonrestrictive à  Dick Prosser, the protagonist of Wolfe’s “Child By Tiger,” suffers a mental breakdown at the end.

1.      Magic Johnson who is a famous basketball player is coming to our hometown next week.

2.      Harper Lee who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird impressed me with her work.

3.      Athletes who use drugs are no longer eligible to play.

4.      Employees who are slack on the job are going to be fired soon.

5.      A building which burned last week was over sixty years old.

6.      Carol the coach of the girls’ basketball team was very successful in her career.

7.      Jim Davis the great cartoonist draws Garfield the cat America loves.

8.      My friend George just bought a new car.

9.      Chris the leader of the baseball team won’t play today.

10.    My eldest brother David is the most brilliant of my brothers.

11.    The student union a meeting place for all students stands at the center of the campus.

12.    The American flag which is red, white, and blue is beautiful.

13.    A person who specializes in accounting needs time and patience.

14.    Students who receive F grades may return to the same class the next quarter.

15.    Only girls who have boyfriends on the team receive special benefits.

16.    Macon which is now growing rapidly has a very large mall.

17.    The dog that ate the cat has indigestion.

18.    Fathers who try to mold their sons may pressure them too much.

Cohesive devices

http://percybal.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/cohesive-devices-list-of-items-for-writing-a-composition.pdf

the indirect speech: exercice

A. Rewrite these sentences into the indirect speech, starting them as 
suggested below. 
1. “I spend about 45 minutes on a typical consultation with a patient.”
Dr Weir confirms ________________________________________
2. “Tell me when it’s a quarter past eight!”
The French teacher asked his students _______________________
3. “My friends went away last weekend.”
Francis told his mother ____________________________________
4. “Why does he sing so loudly?”
Tricia wanted to know _____________________________________
5. “I’ve always thought your brother  was married. I must have confused
him with someone else.”
Richard told Helen ________________________________________
6. “Take a look at yourself in the mirror!”
Peggy urged her brother ___________________________________
7. “Did your father always wear brown suits?”
She asked me ___________________________________________
8. “Go to bed and don’t get up till you’re called!”
My father ordered me _____________________________________
9. “I’m living in another house now. Next month I’ll probably move to a
bigger one.”
Peggy stated ____________________________________________
10.“If you did your best, you would do it!”
My mother told me _______________________________________

Argumentative writing

Planning Stage

For an argument essay to be effective, it must contain certain elements. For this reason, you must take a few minutes to plan and prepare before you jump into writing an argument essay.

Find a Good Topic

To find good topic for an argument essay you should consider several issues that will have two conflicting points of view or very different conclusions. As you look over a list of topics you should find one that really sparks your interest.

While a strong interest in a topic is important, it's not enough to be interested. You have to consider what position you can back up with reasoning and evidence. It's one thing to have a strong belief, but when shaping an argument you'll have to explain why your belief is reasonable and logical.

As you explore the topics, make a mental list of points you could use as evidence for or against an issue.

Consider Both Sides of Your Topic and Take a Position

Once you have selected a topic you feel strongly about, you should make a list of points for both sides of the argument and pick a side. One of your first objectives in your essay will be to present both sides of your issue with an assessment of each. Of course, you will conclude that one side (your side) is the best conclusion.

In the planning stage you will need to consider strong arguments for the "other" side. Then you'll shoot them down!

Gather Evidence

When we think of arguments we might picture two red-faced people speaking quite loudly and making dramatic gestures. But that's because face-to-face arguments often become emotional. In fact, the act of arguing involves providing proof to support your claim, with or without emotions.

In an argument essay you will have to provide evidence without providing too much drama. You'll explore two sides of a topic (briefly) and provide proof as to why one side or position is the best one.

Writing Stage

Once you've given yourself a solid foundation to work with, you can begin to craft your essay. An argument essay should contain three parts: theintroduction, the body, and the conclusion. The length of these parts (number of paragraphs) will vary, depending on the length of your essay assignment.

1. Introduce your topic and assert your side

As in any essay, the first paragraph of your argument essay should contain a brief explanation of your topic, some background information, and a thesis statement. In this case, your thesis will be a statement of your position on a particular controversial topic.

Example introductory paragraph with thesis statement:

Since the turn of the new century, a theory has emerged concerning the end of the world, or at least the end of life as we know it. This new theory centers around the year 2012, a date that many claim has mysterious origins in ancient manuscripts from many different cultures. The most noted characteristic of this date is that it appears to mark the end of the Mayan calendar. But there is no evidence to suggest that the Maya saw any great relevance to this date. In fact, none of the claims surrounding a 2012 doomsday event hold up to scientific inquiry. The year 2012 will pass without a major, life-altering catastrophe.

2. Present both sides of the controversy

The body of your essay will contain the meat of your argument. You should go into more detail about the two sides of your controversy and state the strongest points of the counter-side of your issue.

After describing the "other" side, you will present your own viewpoint and then provide evidence to show why your position is the correct one.

Select your strongest evidence and present your points one by one. Use a mix of evidence types, from statistics, to other studies and anecdotal stories. This part of your paper could be any length, from two paragraphs to two hundred pages.

Re-state your position as the most sensible one in your summary paragraphs.

Tips for Your Essay:

• Avoid emotional language
• Know the difference between a logical conclusion and an emotional point of view
• Don't make up evidence
• Cite your sources
• Make an outline
• Be prepared to defend your side by knowing the strongest arguments for the other side. You might be challenged by the teacher or by another student.