Despite vs In spite of: What's the Difference?
What's the Difference?
Despite" and "in spite of" have the same meaning and are both used with a noun or gerund.
Memory Tip: despite = one word, in spite of = three words
despite
prepositionIn spite of; without being affected by.
Example:
Despite feeling tired, she finished her homework before dinner.
Common patterns:
despite the fact that
despite being
despite the weather
in spite of
Example:
In spite of feeling tired, she went for a long walk in the park and enjoyed the fresh air.
Common Mistakes
In spite of the rain, we decided to go for a hike.
Despite the rain, we decided to go for a hike.
Both 'despite' and 'in spite of' can be used here, but 'despite' is more concise.
Despite of her efforts, she couldn't finish the project on time.
In spite of her efforts, she couldn't finish the project on time.
'Despite' is not followed by 'of'; use 'in spite of' instead.
Quick Practice
0/2 correct1. ____ feeling tired, she finished her homework before dinner.
2. ____ feeling tired, she went for a long walk in the park and enjoyed the fresh air.
Other Confusing Words
Never confuse despite / in spite of again
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