Present two sides of an argument clearly: advanced contrast connectors.

At B2, contrast becomes more nuanced. These connectors all express contrast, but they use different grammar: some are followed by a full clause, some by a noun or -ing form, and some connect two separate sentences.

Why this matters This lesson connects directly to your progress: it covers although, even though, though — followed by a clause; despite and in spite of — followed by a noun or -ing; however, nevertheless, nonetheless — connecting sentences. Mastering this content lets you move forward confidently, and reinforces patterns you'll use again later. Take time to review every example before moving to the assessment — repetition is what actually locks knowledge in long-term.

What will you be able to do?

The goals of this lesson.

→ Use: although, even though, though — followed by a clause
→ Apply: despite and in spite of — followed by a noun or -ing
→ Recognize and use: however, nevertheless, nonetheless — connecting sentences

Before you start

You already connect ideas with "but" and "because". This lesson gives you more precise, formal connectors for contrast: "although", "despite", "however" — each with different grammar rules.

Although, even though, though — followed by a clause

These three connectors are followed by a full subject + verb clause. "Even though" is slightly more emphatic than "although", and "though" is more informal.

Connector	Followed by	Example
although / even though / though	subject + verb	Although it rained, we went out.

Examples

Although it was raining, we went for a walk.

Although

Even though she was tired, she finished the project.

Even though

Though he was young, he showed great leadership.

Though

Despite the bad weather, the event was a success.

Despite + noun

In spite of his injury, he finished the race.

In spite of + noun

Despite feeling nervous, she gave an excellent presentation.

Despite + -ing

Despite and in spite of — followed by a noun or -ing

Unlike "although", these two are followed by a noun phrase or an -ing form — never a full clause with a conjugated verb.

Connector	Followed by	Example
despite / in spite of	noun or -ing	Despite the rain, we went out.

Examples

In spite of losing the game, the team stayed positive.

In spite of + -ing

She trained every day. However, she didn't win the competition.

However

The plan looked perfect. Nevertheless, it failed completely.

Nevertheless

He works very hard. Nonetheless, he never seems satisfied.

Nonetheless

It was expensive; however, the quality was excellent.

However

The company grew quickly. On the other hand, profits decreased.

On the other hand

However, nevertheless, nonetheless — connecting sentences

These connect two separate sentences (or clauses joined with a semicolon), rather than joining ideas within one sentence.

Examples

We arrived late; nevertheless, we caught the last few minutes.

Nevertheless

Although I disagree with the plan, I'll support the team's decision.

Although

Despite having little experience, she got the job.

Despite + -ing

In spite of the noise, he managed to concentrate.

In spite of + noun

Even though it's expensive, I think it's worth buying.

Even though

The movie received bad reviews; nonetheless, it was very popular.

Nonetheless

Despite all the challenges, the company survived the crisis.

Despite + noun

Although the instructions were clear, many people got confused.

Although

She's very talented. However, she lacks confidence.

However

In spite of everything that happened, they remained good friends.

In spite of + noun

Reading

Read the text and answer the questions. You can try as many times as you want.

Despite growing up in a small village with limited resources, Ana always dreamed of becoming an engineer. Although her family couldn't afford expensive tutoring, she studied on her own every night. In spite of failing her first university entrance exam, she didn't give up.

She retook the exam the following year and passed. However, university life wasn't easy either — she worked part-time to pay for her studies. Nevertheless, she graduated at the top of her class. Despite all the obstacles, Ana now works at a major engineering firm.

💪 Your writing and speaking now have real sophistication. Review this lesson, or keep building toward fluency!

Fill in the Blanks

Usa las pistas para completar cada palabra en inglés. Sin calificar — repite las veces que quieras.

Key Points

The essentials of this lesson, summarized.

Although, even though, though — followed by a clause: These three connectors are followed by a full subject + verb clause. "Even though" is slightly more emphatic than "although", and "though" is more informal.
Despite and in spite of — followed by a noun or -ing: Unlike "although", these two are followed by a noun phrase or an -ing form — never a full clause with a conjugated verb.
However, nevertheless, nonetheless — connecting sentences: These connect two separate sentences (or clauses joined with a semicolon), rather than joining ideas within one sentence.
Reading: Read the text and answer the questions. You can try as many times as you want.

Vocabulary in This Lesson

Key terms to remember.

Although: "Although it was raining, we went for a walk."
Even: "Even though she was tired, she finished the project."
Though: "Though he was young, he showed great leadership."
Despite: "Despite the bad weather, the event was a success."
spite: "In spite of his injury, he finished the race."
feeling: "Despite feeling nervous, she gave an excellent presentation."

Build the Sentence

Tap the words in the correct order to form the sentence. Ungraded — repeat as many times as you like.

Choose the Correct Verb

Tap the correct verb form to complete each sentence. The other options are conjugations from other tenses — on purpose, so you learn to tell them apart.

She's talented However she lacks confidence

Although instructions were clear many people got confused

Despite nervous she gave an excellent presentation

Although I with the plan I'll support the team's decision

The grew quickly On the other hand profits decreased

Complete the Dialogue

Listen to the full dialogue with the speaker buttons first, then fill in the missing words from this lesson's real conversation. Ungraded — repeat as many times as you like.

Did the team the project on

they worked overtime, they missed the deadline.

Assessment

You need at least 80% to unlock the next lesson. You can retake it as many times as you want — your best score is saved.

Summary and next step

You now express contrast with formal precision. Next lesson: causative verbs, for actions someone did for you.

Games

Practice this lesson's vocabulary with a word search and flashcards. Ungraded — play as many times as you like.

Word Search

Tap the first and last letter of a hidden word to find it. Los términos de varias palabras van sin espacios en el tablero (ej. "give up" aparece como GIVEUP).

Flashcards

Elige la respuesta correcta. Si aciertas, la tarjeta queda lista por hoy; si fallas, vuelve a aparecer pronto para reforzarla. Tu progreso se guarda en este dispositivo.

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