連接詞用法

The basic difference for them is:
"although" and "even though" + clause
"despite" and "in spite of" + noun, pronoun or V-ing

The first question is correct to choose (C), but
the second one shall choose (C), not (B).


However, there are more about these words, I summarize it as follows:

After although we use a subject + verb: • Although it rained a lot, we enjoyed our holiday.• I didn't get the job although I had all the necessary qualifications. Compare the meaning of although and because:• We went out although it was raining.• We didn't go out because it was raining. After in spite of or despite, we use a noun, a pronoun (this/that/what etc.) or -ing:• In spite of the rain, we enjoyed our holiday.• I didn't get the job in spite of having all the necessary qualifications.• She wasn't well, but in spite of this she went to work.• In spite of what I said yesterday, I still love you. Despite is the same as in spite of. Note that we say 'in spite of, but despite (without 'of'):• She wasn't well, but despite this she went to work, (not 'despite of this') You can say 'in spite of the fact (that)...' and 'despite the fact (that)...': I didn’t get the job in spite of the fact that I had all the necessary qualificationsI didn’t get the job despite the fact (that) I had all the necessary qualifications. Compare in spite of and because of:• We went out in spite of the rain, (or ...despite the rain.)• We didn't go out because of the rain. Compare although and in spite of / despite:• Although the traffic was bad. I arrived on time. (not in spite of the traffic was bad)In spite of the traffic, I arrived on time. (not in spite of the traffic was bad) I couldn’t sleep although I was very tired (not despite I was tired) I couldn’t sleep despite being very tired (not despite I was tired)

"even though" is much stronger than "although" when expressing the contrast.

you can refer to:

http://gmat-grammar.blogspot.com/2006/06/although-vs-though-vs-even-though.html





2012-05-02 13:20:17 補充：
This is how this English forum is for! Everybody provides his (her) own opinion, sooner or later the exact right one will show up after all these discussion. I am sure nobody walks away empty-handed.

Good job!,M.DASG!

First L 絕對是正確的!

Because the room is quite small, it's comfortable and cozy. (O)
因為這是一間小房間，所以它很舒適。（不認為邏輯有問題，難道房間小不可以成為舒適的理由？這完全是主觀感受）

Despite the room is quite small, it's comfortable and cozy. (X)
上半句應該寫成"despite the room being quite small".

2012-04-30 19:29:08 補充：
Even though the room is quite small, it's comfortable and cozy. (O)
雖然這房間很小，但它很舒適。

While the room is quite small, it's comfortable and cozy. (X)
如果就這樣的話會有語意上的誤會，但如果後面加個still則可行：While the room is quite small, it's still quite comfortable and cozy. 就像中文裡也會說“儘管這房間很小，但它還是(still)很舒適。

2012-04-30 19:35:52 補充：
despite後面接that不一定要加the fact，但"the room is quite small"這句前則要加the fact.

Despite the fact that the room is quite small, ... (O)
Despite that the room being quite small, ... (O)
Despite the room is quite small, ... (X)

2012-04-30 19:36:19 補充：
同樣，
Despite the fact that he's not a good student, ... (O)
Despite him not being a good student, ... (O)
Despite he's not a good student, ... (X)

第1題大家都答對用介系詞Despite, 沒有問題.
第2題First L. DaSaGwa, Louis三位都沒有完全答對.

___the room is quite small, it's comfortable and cozy. (版主漏打the)
(A)Because(B)Despite(C)Even though(D)While
正解有兩個: B, C

A,D文法OK, 但在邏輯上錯誤, 排除.
C: 文法與邏輯皆正確, C為正解之ㄧ.
B: 結構是: 介系詞Despite + (that)名詞子句, 其中that可省略
文法與邏輯皆正確, B亦為正解之ㄧ.

2012-04-30 15:16:20 補充：
語意轉折是第2題的重點, 空格可以是Despite (that), Though, Although, Even though, Even if等都對
也可以改用連接詞yet, still或but, 但須置後:
The room is quite small, yet/still/but it's comfortable and cozy.

2012-05-02 12:30:45 補充：
關於「Despite that + 名詞子句」的用法在通俗英文是很普遍的(包含版主第2題給的答案Despite), 但是學院派的正式寫法堅持要加上the fact, 亦即Despite the fact that..., 這一點是確有其事的.
所以好漢不吃眼前虧, 我同意考試中遇到「Despite that + 名詞子句」的選項, 還是乖乖不選的好. 版主的第2題在考試中要改選Even though, 還是避免選Despite吧!
我在意見001說"第2題First L. DaSaGwa, Louis三位都沒有完全答對", 茲鄭重向三位致歉.

2012-05-02 12:31:48 補充：
不過, Louis所說的「that所引領的名詞子句不受任何介系詞的約束」卻是不盡然的, 正式英文至少有except that與in that兩個例外.
請參閱: http://www.yygrammar.com/Article/201001/1462.html
螞蟻可以搬象, 或許不久之後, 各大字典會正式收錄「Despite that + 名詞子句」的用法, 咱們且拭目以待.

2012-05-02 13:57:45 補充：
學院派的"Despite the fact + that子句"當然正確, 這毋庸置疑; 可是學院派認為沒有the fact就是錯誤, 我認為流於偏執.
我們知道, In spite of the fact that可以寫為In spite that
那為何"despite the fact that子句"不可寫為"despite that子句"呢? 這是說不通的.
有了except+that子句、in that+子句的例子,
誰又能斷然否定介系詞despite+that子句呢?
一時的主流認知罷了, 語言是會隨著大眾的用法而變革的.

2012-07-02 11:20:43 補充：
First L,
今天才看到您的017.
while的主要用法是「並列比較; 同時存在」, 理解為「雖然」是特殊場合吧? 要看前後文, 版主本句不宜作「雖然」解.

___his bad writing, I could still recognize his words.
(A)Although(B)Even though(C)Despite(D)Because
為什麼這題答案是(C)不能用A跟B呢?
his bad writing只是一組名詞及其修飾語，不是一個句子，所以只能用介系詞despite。其它的選項都是用來帶出句子的連接詞，所以不能用。

___room is quite small,it's comfortable and cozy.
(A)Because(B)Despite(C)Even though(D)While
答案(B)為什麼不能選(C)?
這題應用Even though the...因為是一個句子，所以不能用介系詞despite。且只有C的內容符合上下文的邏輯。題目漏打了the。

你可以查字典，看例句，明白每組選項的用法。


2012-04-30 16:22:40 補充：
Despite the fact that ...寫成這樣才對，因為that所引領的名詞子句不受任何介系詞的約束，所以要寫作同位語的形式，（即讓名詞子句成為fact的同位語）。

He still loves her, despite the fact that she left him.
(see p.400 Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners 2007 edition)

2012-04-30 16:29:46 補充：
wh-clause才能當介系詞的受詞。that-clause不能當介系詞的受詞，所以介系詞會遭強制刪去。

唯一的例外是in that: I'm luck in that I have three brothers.

（see p.578 朗文新英文文法全集）

2012-05-02 13:22:59 補充：
建議你多找幾本比較大型的字典來查despite這個字的用法。

2012-05-02 14:41:15 補充：
在字典上看到的是in spite of = despite
in spite of something: In spite of feeling tired, we decided to go out.
in spite of the fact that: The house will certainly sell, in spite of the fact that it's overpriced.

2012-05-02 14:41:21 補充：
in spite of yourself: I think she had a good time in spite of herself.
(see p.1439 Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners 2007 edition)
但未見到羅莉大師所提出的in spite that的用法

2012-05-02 14:47:24 補充：
except後面是子句或副詞片語時，except被歸類為［連接詞］。如：I'd go and see him myself, except I don't know where he lives.
此外，except可用在連接詞that, when, if等前面。
如：I don't know much about the man, except that he's a fool.

see p.508 Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners 2007 edition.

你去查字典的時候會有conj.或prep.
conjunction是所謂的連接詞(連接句子)；而另一種是叫做介係詞preposition(只能接名詞)，但大多介係詞可用來接名詞修飾全句，所以威力跟連接詞差不多，故常常拿來做比較。

只有連接詞可以直接連接句子，像despite , in spite of都是屬於介係詞，在字典上還是寫著prep.，所以只能當介詞用。

第一題ABD都是連接詞後面要接完整的句子(主詞+動詞)。
後面是his bad writing，這是名詞所以只能用介係詞Despite來修飾。

第二題後面是個完整的句子(有主詞動詞)，所以要用連接詞來連接。
ACD都是連接詞
依句意C跟D都對，都可譯為儘管。
這個題目有問題唷!


2012-04-30 18:44:43 補充：
While放句首也有儘管的意思不是嗎?
Despite要接that子句不用弄個the fact嗎@@?

2012-05-02 19:38:34 補充：
羅莉姊姊可以解釋一下while為什麼不可以嗎
在字典上他跟even though一樣有雖然的意思呀
例句上也不須加still