Despite is used to say that something happens or is true even though something else might have prevented it. It is followed by a noun or an -ing form, not by a full clause: despite the rain, despite being tired. The word is neutral: it works in essays as well as when you talk about a trip or work.
How would you use despite?
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Despite + noun/-ing, + clause; clause + despite + noun/-ing; despite the fact that + clause
- Despite recent improvements, air quality in many large cities remains poor.
- Many students choose to study abroad despite the high cost of tuition.
- Despite feeling nervous, I answered every question in the job interview.
What changed
First versionDespite of the rain, the concert took place outdoors.
RevisionDespite the rain, the concert took place outdoors.
Its synonym “in spite of” ends in “of”, so it is easy to add “of” to “despite” as well: despite of. But “despite” takes the noun directly and does not need “of”. Remove “of”; nothing else changes.
“In spite of” means the same as “despite”, only with “of”: in spite of the rain. If you need a full clause after it, use “although” or “despite the fact that”: Despite the fact that it was raining, the concert took place outdoors.
Your turn
Despite ___ a map, we got lost in the old town twice.
Show the answer
having — “Despite” cannot be followed by a subject and a verb; it needs a noun or an -ing form: despite having a map. “We had” would work after “although”: Although we had a map, we got lost.
Write about a trip, a celebration or a get-together that went well even though something went wrong. After despite, say what went wrong.
Our weekend in Riga was wonderful despite the airline losing my suitcase on the first day.
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