Despite and in spite of: what they mean
Despite and in spite of show that the result is different from what we expect: because of the cold, people usually stay indoors, but we went for a walk anyway.
Both expressions have the same meaning and grammar. Which one you choose depends on habit and sentence rhythm, not on a rule: everything said below applies to both.
Despite the cold, we walked along the beach for an hour.
Despite the cold, we walked along the beach for an hour.
The cold was an obstacle, but the walk happened anyway.
The shop stayed open in spite of the power cut.
The shop stayed open in spite of the power cut.
The same meaning with in spite of: the obstacle is named with a noun phrase.
A preposition, not a conjunction: what comes after it
After despite/in spite of, you can use a noun phrase, pronoun, or an -ing clause that may have its own subject: despite the bus being late. Do not put an ordinary clause with a finite verb immediately after it: despite the bus was late.
That is why a sentence such as “Despite Tom was ill” is incorrect. You must turn the clause into a phrase (see below) or introduce it in another way.
Despite / In spite of + noun phrase / pronoun / -ing, main clause
- V-ing / -ing —
- The verb form ending in -ing: working, going. Its role depends on the construction.
- NP / noun phrase —
- A noun phrase: a noun with its dependent words, such as the new student; the pattern treats it as one group of words.
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
- clause —
- A construction with a verb, often with its own subject: when I arrived. A non-finite clause may leave the subject unspoken: to get home.
- pronoun —
- A word used instead of naming a person or thing: I, you, she, it, they.
Despite the long journey, the children were full of energy.
Despite the long journey, the children were full of energy.
A noun phrase, the long journey, follows despite.
In spite of this, the team kept training.
In spite of this, the team kept training.
The pronoun this can come after the prepositional expression in spite of.
Despite working two jobs, Dana found time to paint.
Despite working two jobs, Dana found time to paint.
The verb after despite has the -ing form.
Fixed form: despite without of, in spite of with of
Despite is one word, and we do not add of after it. In spite of has three words, and of is required here. That is why despite of and in spite (without of) are the most common mistakes.
We do not use the separate expression in despite of in modern English: choose despite or in spite of.
Despite his fear of heights, Ben climbed to the top.
Despite his fear of heights, Ben climbed to the top.
The of in fear of heights belongs to the expression “fear of heights”, not to despite.
In spite of the small prize, many people entered the contest.
In spite of the small prize, many people entered the contest.
Write in spite of in full, with of.
-ing after despite: being, having, not
The verb after despite or in spite of has the -ing form. For a state, use being + adjective; for possession or experience, use having; and express an earlier event with having + V3. Form the negative with not before the -ing form.
If an -ing form comes immediately after despite/in spite of without its own subject, it refers to the subject of the main clause: in “Despite feeling ill, Tom went to work”, Tom is the one who felt ill. If the subjects are different, use a noun phrase, the fact that, or name the subject before the -ing form (despite the bus being late).
despite/in spite of + V-ing; being + quality; having + V3; not + V-ing
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- V3 / past participle —
- The third verb form: worked, gone, seen. Used after have/has or in the passive, for example; it is not always the same as V2.
- V-ing / -ing —
- The verb form ending in -ing: working, going. Its role depends on the construction.
Despite being new in the team, Alice suggested a better plan.
Despite being new in the team, Alice suggested a better plan.
Being + adjective expresses a state; the subject is the same: Alice.
In spite of not knowing the city, we found the museum easily.
In spite of not knowing the city, we found the museum easily.
Not comes before the -ing form.
Despite having failed twice, Omar tried the exam again.
Despite having failed twice, Omar tried the exam again.
Having + V3 shows that the failures happened earlier.
How to reduce a clause to a phrase
In English, a full clause cannot normally follow despite or in spite of. So turn the clause into a phrase: an adjective can become a noun or modifier, and a verb can become an -ing form.
There is another option: keep the clause with the fact that. Then all the words of the clause remain, and after despite there is the noun phrase the fact that + subject + verb. This is useful when the subjects are different and an -ing form is awkward.
Despite the fact that + subject + verb
- subject / S —
- The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
Despite the icy road, the bus arrived on time.
Despite the icy road, the bus arrived on time.
The clause the road was icy became a noun phrase.
Despite the road being icy, the bus arrived on time.
Despite the road being icy, the bus arrived on time.
The road is the separate subject of the clause with being; this distinguishes the icy road from the subject of the main clause, the bus.
Despite the fact that the road was icy, the bus arrived on time.
Despite the fact that the road was icy, the bus arrived on time.
The clause is kept complete because it comes after the fact that.
Position of the phrase and commas
A phrase with despite or in spite of can come at the beginning or end of a sentence. At the beginning, put a comma after the entire phrase. At the end of a sentence, a comma is not required; you can add one if you want to create a pause.
Do not separate the preposition from its usual continuation with a comma: despite the heat. Possible parenthetical additions have their own punctuation rules; here we are practicing a simple, complete phrase.
Despite the long meeting, Ruth stayed focused.
Despite the long meeting, Ruth stayed focused.
The phrase is at the beginning, with a comma after it.
Ruth stayed focused despite the long meeting.
Ruth stayed focused despite the long meeting.
The phrase is at the end, without a comma.
Ruth stayed focused, in spite of the long meeting.
Ruth stayed focused, in spite of the long meeting.
A comma before the final phrase is possible to create a pause.
Limits of the rule: related connectors
Although and even though also express contrast, but they introduce a full clause: Although Ida was nervous, she spoke clearly. That is a separate rule. Here we are learning the opposite pattern: a phrase follows despite or in spite of.
However and nevertheless are linking words between sentences, not prepositions; they are also studied separately. There is no need to combine despite with but: the contrast is already expressed.
Although Ida was nervous, she spoke clearly.
Although Ida was nervous, she spoke clearly.
The clause after although follows a different rule.
Despite being nervous, Ida spoke clearly.
Despite being nervous, Ida spoke clearly.
The same meaning expressed with despite + -ing.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:Despite of the cold, Max swam in the sea.
Correct:Despite the cold, Max swam in the sea.
Despite is not used with of. Only in spite of is written with of.
Incorrect:In spite the crowd, Eva found her seat.
Correct:In spite of the crowd, Eva found her seat.
In spite of is a fixed three-word expression: of is required.
Incorrect:Despite Tom was ill, he came to work.
Correct:Despite being ill, Tom came to work.
Do not use the finite form was after despite here. Possible forms are despite being ill with the same subject, Tom, or despite the fact that Tom was ill.
Incorrect:Despite working hard, the exam was difficult.
Correct:Despite working hard, Ana found the exam difficult.
The subject of the -ing phrase must be the same as the subject of the main clause: Ana was working, not the exam.
Incorrect:Despite the cold, but Pat went swimming.
Correct:Despite the cold, Pat went swimming.
The contrast is already expressed by despite, so but is unnecessary.