CONCESSION CLAUSES
There are several words or groups of words, conjunctions or prepositions, used to introduce a concession, which means adding an idea despite what has being said:
The clauses are underlined in blue. Pay close attention to the position of “not” in the negative
sentences
Although it was late, I decided to ring them up.
Although going there was a mistake, he did go. (notice verb “be” + a complement,
here “a mistake”)
Even though he had studied he couldn’t pass the exam.
She
was not strikingly beautiful, yet she
was wonderful.
He
decided to invest in spite of the fact
that he had been warned not to.
Despite the fact that
everybody said that car was in bad conditions, he
bought it.
In spite of his arriving
late, he was shown in. (“him” also used instead of
“his”)
Despite his insistence, he couldn’t get it. (Not an actual clause but a prepositional
phrase)
· The order is irrelevant
from a grammar point of view, though not of style.
Exercise 1
Recognition
Underline the concessive linkers in the following paragraph.
The first has been done for you. Key below.
Despite being so early, Lewis decided to go. After all, even though Clara
didn’t seem to have anything to do with him, it was a matter of loyalty to do
it, he thought. He started the car but it didn’t go. He insisted. In spite of
his efforts it wouldn’t start. He got out and went to the corner for a cab.
Although it was early, all the taxis were already occupied. It didn’t take him
five seconds, just the time to look around as if the fresh morning air could
give him an answer, to make up his mind and began to run. He had to make it to
her place before the others did, yet running uphill was hard. And finally he
saw the house. The garden, the lawn so neat, the roses in bloom. Only a hundred
more yards to go. In spite of the fact that he had warned her so many times,
there she was coming out. Now she was turning round and locking the door.
Although he shouted at the top of his voice so that she would get in quickly,
she did not seem to hear. Despite his lungs wheezing, his heart nearly
bursting, his knees buckling, he shouted and ran, he shouted and ran. A
passer-by picked him up and took him to hospital. Clara never knew.*
*
Some concessive linkers in this passage have been forced out of their normal
register to show a wide variety of them.
Example:
Jane studied medicine but she doesn’t work
as a doctor. (Although)
Although
she studied medicines, Jane doesn’t work as a doctor.
1. It was very late for the opera but she managed to be allowed in.
(Even though)
2. It’s a small house but it is very cosy. (yet)
3. He has a very high salary but he never has money. (In spite of)
4. They invested in it. They were warned not to. (Despite the fact)
5. The cabin was surround by the flames but it didn’t catch fire. (yet)
6. He would have loved to talk to her but he didn’t ring her up.
(Although)
7. He was a real heavy weight, but he could run like a hare. (In spite
of)
8. He would have like to have run away from the scene, but he stayed
there like a brave man. (Even though)
9. There are still many people hungry in the world, although food
production is rising. (In spite of the fact)
10. It started to pour, but the match was not put off. (yet)
Exercise 1
Despite being so early, Lewis decided to go. After all, even though Clara didn’t seem to have anything to do with him, it was a matter of loyalty to do it, he thought. He started the car but it didn’t go. He insisted. In spite of his insistence it wouldn’t start. He got out and went to the corner for a cab. Although it was early, all the taxis were occupied. It didn’t take him five seconds, just the time to look around as if the fresh morning air could give him an answer, to make up his mind and began to run. He had to make it to her place before the others did, yet running uphill was hard. And finally he saw the house. The garden, the lawn so neat, the roses in bloom. Only a hundred more yards to go. In spite of the fact that he had warned her so many times, there she was coming out. Now she was turning round and locking the door. Although he shouted at the top of his voice so that she would get in quickly, she did not seem to hear. Despite his lungs wheezing, his heart nearly bursting, his knees buckling, he shouted and ran, he shouted and ran. Later, a passer-by picked him up and took him to hospital. Clara never knew; in fact, she didn’t know that man.*
Exercise 2
Rewriting
1.
Even though it was very late for the
opera she managed to be allowed in.
2.
It’s a small house, yet
it is very cosy.
3. In spite of having a very high salary he never has money.
4.
Despite the fact that they were warned not to, they invested in it.
5.
The cabin was surround by the flames, yet it didn’t catch fire.
6.
Although he would have loved to
talk to her he didn’t ring her up.
7.
In spite of being a real heavy weight, he could run like a hare.
8.
Even though he would have like to have run away from the
scene, he stayed there like a brave man.
9.
In spite of the fact that food production is
rising there are still many people hungry in the world.
10.
It started to pour, yet
the match was not put off.
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