English Grammar

In spite of

In spite of means ‘notwithstanding’. It is used as a preposition. In spite of + noun means more or less the same as although + clause.

• They went out in spite of the rain. (=They went out although it was raining. )

In more formal English, despite can be used in the same way as in spite of.

In spite of and because of

In spite of is the opposite of because of.

Compare:

• She passed her exam in spite of her teacher. (= She had a bad teacher.)
• She passed her exam because of her teacher. (=She had a good teacher.)

In spite of can be followed by an –ing form.

• I enjoyed the film in spite of having a headache.

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