General English B2 · Lesson 9A

Grammar Bank

The rules behind this lesson — form, use, model sentences and the mistakes to avoid.

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Grammar focus of this lesson

clauses of contrast & purpose

1 structure

Clauses of contrast and purpose
Signalling opposition and intention with precision.
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Rules & form
- ›Contrast: although / even though / while + clause; despite / in spite of + noun or -ing.
- ›however / nevertheless / on the other hand link separate sentences.
- ›Purpose: to / in order to / so as to + verb; so that + clause.
- ›in case = as a precaution (never with will).
Examples
- “Although the numbers dipped, retention improved.”
- “Despite investing heavily, they lost share.”
- “We scheduled a buffer so that testing wouldn't slip.”
Watch out · despite of ✗ → despite / in spite of ✓.
Your own example