Contrast (despite/in spite of/however) Exercises PDFSet 3: Mixed Contrast & Concession — Transformations
20 questions·15 min·Answers included·Explanations included
Preview: Questions
Fill in the blank with the correct option.
1.She didn't buy the dress ___ she really liked it.
a) despiteb) even thoughc) in spite ofd) however
2.The north of the country is mountainous, ___ the south consists mainly of flat farmland.
a) whereasb) despitec) neverthelessd) in spite of
3.___ hard he tried, he couldn't solve the problem.
a) Althoughb) Despitec) Howeverd) Nevertheless
4.She failed the test. This was ___ the fact that she had studied all week.
a) althoughb) howeverc) even thoughd) despite
5.___ I enjoy traveling, I really hate packing my suitcase.
a) Despiteb) Neverthelessc) Whiled) In spite of
... and 15 more questions in the PDF
Preview: Answers
1.even though
2.whereas
3.However
4.despite
5.While
... and 15 more answers in the PDF
Preview: Explanations
1."even though"(b)
'Even though' is a conjunction followed by the clause 'she really liked it'. 'Despite' and 'in spite of' are prepositions — they need a noun or -ing form (e.g., 'despite really liking it'). 'However' is a sentence connector and cannot join clauses within one sentence.
2."whereas"(a)
'Whereas' is a conjunction used to contrast two facts within one sentence. 'Despite' and 'in spite of' are prepositions — they cannot introduce a clause. 'Nevertheless' is a sentence connector and cannot join clauses with a comma like this.
3."However"(c)
'However' + adjective/adverb means 'no matter how'. 'However hard he tried' = 'No matter how hard he tried'. This is a special use of 'however' different from its role as a sentence connector. 'Although' would need a different structure: 'Although he tried hard'.
4."despite"(d)
'Despite' fits after 'This was' as a preposition: 'This was despite the fact that...' This is a less common but correct pattern where 'despite' follows a linking verb. 'Although' and 'even though' are conjunctions and cannot follow 'was'. 'However' is an adverb and doesn't fit here.
5."While"(c)
'While' can introduce a contrast clause, meaning 'although' or 'whereas'. 'While I enjoy traveling' contrasts with 'I hate packing'. 'Despite' and 'in spite of' are prepositions and need a noun or -ing form. 'Nevertheless' is a sentence connector.
... and 15 more explanations in the PDF
More Contrast (despite/in spite of/however) Exercises
Prefer practicing online?
Try our interactive exercises with instant feedback.