Tóm tắt

DESPITE IN SPITE OF ALTHOUGH / EVEN THOUGH
Theo sau là Noun / Noun phrase / Gerund Noun / Noun phrase / Gerund Subject + Verb (clause)
Loại từ Giới từ (preposition) Giới từ kép (preposition) Liên từ (conjunction)
Ý nghĩa Mặc dù Mặc dù Mặc dù
Ví dụ despite the rain in spite of the rain although it rained

Tại sao quan trọng

Trong IELTS Writing Band 7+, examiners muốn thấy bạn dùng linh hoạt các cấu trúc tương phản — không chỉ "however" và "but". Hiểu rõ cấu trúc sau despite / in spite of (luôn là noun phrase, không phải clause) giúp bạn tránh một lỗi ngữ pháp rất phổ biến: "despite it was raining" (sai hoàn toàn).

DESPITE và IN SPITE OF — hoàn toàn giống nhau về nghĩa

Cả hai đều nghĩa là "mặc dù" và cần danh từ/cụm danh từ theo sau:

Despite + noun/noun phrase/gerund, [main clause]
In spite of + noun/noun phrase/gerund, [main clause]
  • Despite the bad weather, we went ahead with the picnic.

  • In spite of the bad weather, we went ahead with the picnic. ✅ (hoàn toàn như nhau)

  • Despite her nervousness, she gave an excellent presentation.

  • In spite of her nervousness, she gave an excellent presentation. ✅

Hoặc đặt ở cuối câu: - She gave an excellent presentation, despite her nervousness. - He passed the exam in spite of studying very little.

Chọn cái nào? Trong thực tế, "despite" ngắn hơn và phổ biến hơn trong văn viết học thuật. "In spite of" cũng đúng 100% nhưng dài hơn. Cả hai đều được chấp nhận trong IELTS.

Cấu trúc đi theo sau

1. Danh từ (Noun)

  • Despite criticism, the policy was implemented.
  • In spite of opposition, the bill was passed.
  • Despite the cost, she enrolled in the programme.

2. Cụm danh từ (Noun phrase)

  • Despite the heavy traffic, we arrived on time.
  • In spite of his best efforts, the project failed.
  • Despite a lack of resources, they achieved remarkable results.
  • In spite of the government's promises, little has changed.

3. Danh động từ / V-ing (Gerund)

Đây là trường hợp hay bị nhầm nhất:

  • Despite working hard, she didn't get promoted.
  • In spite of trying many times, he couldn't pass.
  • Despite being tired, she stayed until the end.

4. "Despite the fact that" — trường hợp đặc biệt

Khi bắt buộc phải dùng mệnh đề sau despite, thêm "the fact that":

despite the fact that + subject + verb
in spite of the fact that + subject + verb
  • Despite the fact that it was raining, they continued the game.
  • In spite of the fact that she had worked all night, she looked fresh.

Lưu ý: "Despite the fact that" = dài và hơi cứng. Trong hầu hết trường hợp, tốt hơn là chuyển sang dùng although/even though.

ALTHOUGH / EVEN THOUGH — cấu trúc song song

Although và even though cũng có nghĩa "mặc dù" nhưng là liên từ — theo sau là mệnh đề (subject + verb):

Although + subject + verb, [main clause]
Even though + subject + verb, [main clause]
  • Although it was raining, they continued the game.
  • Even though she was nervous, she spoke confidently.
  • He went to work even though he felt ill.

So sánh trực tiếp:

DESPITE/IN SPITE OF (+ noun) ALTHOUGH/EVEN THOUGH (+ clause)
Despite the rain, they played. Although it rained, they played.
In spite of her nerves, she spoke well. Even though she was nervous, she spoke well.
Despite the high cost, he bought it. Although it cost a lot, he bought it.
Despite working all night, she was late. Even though she had worked all night, she was late.

Bảng chuyển đổi giữa các cấu trúc

Câu gốc Chuyển sang despite Chuyển sang although
...the weather was bad... despite the bad weather although the weather was bad
...he didn't have experience... despite his lack of experience although he didn't have experience
...she tried many times... despite trying many times although she tried many times
...prices rose sharply... despite the sharp rise in prices although prices rose sharply

Lỗi thường gặp

Lỗi 1: "Despite" + mệnh đề (không có "the fact that")

  • ❌ Despite she was tired, she kept working.
  • ✅ Despite her tiredness, she kept working.
  • ✅ Despite the fact that she was tired, she kept working.
  • ✅ Although she was tired, she kept working.

Lỗi 2: "Although" + cụm danh từ

  • ❌ Although the heavy traffic, we arrived on time.
  • ✅ Despite the heavy traffic, we arrived on time.
  • ✅ Although there was heavy traffic, we arrived on time.

Lỗi 3: "Despite of" (thêm "of" thừa vào despite)

  • ❌ Despite of the difficulties, she persevered.
  • ✅ Despite the difficulties, she persevered. (không cần "of")
  • ✅ In spite of the difficulties, she persevered. (cần "of")

Lưu ý quan trọng: "Despite" KHÔNG có "of". Chỉ "in spite of" mới có "of".

Lỗi 4: Nhầm vị trí

  • ❌ She was successful, in spite of she worked hard.
  • ✅ She was successful, in spite of working hard.
  • ✅ She was successful, even though she worked hard.

Tăng cường: các cấu trúc tương phản khác

Cấu trúc Ví dụ Ghi chú
Despite / In spite of + noun Despite the difficulties, ... Formal, phổ biến trong writing
Although / Even though + clause Although it was hard, ... Linh hoạt, cả writing & speaking
However (đầu câu) It was hard. However, she succeeded. Đầu câu mới
Nevertheless / Nonetheless It failed. Nevertheless, they tried again. Mạnh hơn however
Yet It was expensive, yet worth every penny. Thường đứng giữa câu
While While costs are high, benefits are significant. Đồng thời / đối lập
Whereas Urban areas are crowded, whereas rural areas are peaceful. So sánh hai đối lập

Ứng dụng trong IELTS

Writing Task 1 — mô tả xu hướng tương phản:

  • Despite an overall upward trend, figures dipped sharply in 2009.
  • In spite of significant investment, output remained low throughout the period.
  • Although the overall pattern was positive, the figures for 2015 were notably lower.

Writing Task 2 — lập luận:

  • Despite the clear benefits of technology, its overuse can have serious consequences for mental health.
  • In spite of widespread awareness of climate change, global carbon emissions continue to rise.
  • Although education is widely regarded as a right, millions of children still lack access to quality schooling.
  • Even though governments have introduced stricter regulations, enforcement remains inconsistent in many regions.

Speaking Part 3 — thảo luận:

  • "Despite the risks, many young people prefer starting their own businesses."
  • "In spite of government campaigns, smoking rates haven't fallen significantly."
  • "Although people know exercise is important, they often don't make time for it."
  • "I think, despite all its drawbacks, social media has genuinely brought people closer together."

Bài tập luyện

Chọn cấu trúc đúng

  1. ___ (despite / although) the cold weather, we decided to go hiking.
  2. ___ (despite / although) it was very cold, we decided to go hiking.
  3. ___ (despite of / despite) her young age, she was highly skilled.
  4. She passed the exam ___ (in spite of / in spite) studying very little.
  5. ___ (although / despite) the government's efforts, poverty rates remain high.
  6. ___ (although / despite) the government tried hard, poverty rates remain high.

Viết lại câu

Dùng "despite/in spite of" thay cho "although":

  1. Although she was exhausted, she finished the marathon.
  2. Although the plan was risky, they decided to proceed.
  3. Although he had very little money, he was generous.

Dùng "although/even though" thay cho "despite":

  1. Despite the noise, she managed to concentrate.
  2. Despite his inexperience, he performed brilliantly.
  3. Despite facing many obstacles, the team succeeded.

Đáp án

Chọn cấu trúc: 1. Despite | 2. Although | 3. despite | 4. in spite of | 5. Despite | 6. Although

Viết lại: 1. Despite her exhaustion, she finished the marathon. / In spite of being exhausted, she finished the marathon. 2. Despite the risk, they decided to proceed. / In spite of the risky plan, they decided to proceed. 3. Despite having very little money, he was generous. / In spite of his lack of money, he was generous. 4. Although it was noisy, she managed to concentrate. 5. Even though he was inexperienced, he performed brilliantly. 6. Although/Even though the team faced many obstacles, they succeeded.

Tóm tắt nhanh

DESPITE IN SPITE OF ALTHOUGH / EVEN THOUGH
Theo sau noun / V-ing noun / V-ing subject + verb
Lỗi phổ biến "despite of..." ❌ — "although the rain..." ❌
Trang trọng Cao Cao Trung bình–cao
Thay thế in spite of despite however, nevertheless

Quy tắc vàng: - Despite / In spite of + danh từ → despite the rain, in spite of her effort - Although / Even though + mệnh đề → although it rained, even though she tried - Không bao giờ viết "despite of" — đây là lỗi cực kỳ phổ biến - Khi muốn dùng mệnh đề sau despite: "despite the fact that + S + V"