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:

*Please, notice there is no “of” after “despite”    

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.

Exercise 2

Rewriting

Rewrite the following sentences introducing the words given in brackets

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

Recognition

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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