"Though" / "Although" / "Even Though": What's the Difference?
English learners may have a hard time understanding the differences between "though," "although" and "even though." They sound similar, but does that mean they can be used in the same ways?
In fact, there are important differences you should know, so this article will explain how they are similar as well as what makes each of them unique. We'll include some helpful examples that demonstrate the correct ways to use them all.
Though
"Though" simply means "but." In some cases, you can use either word without changing the rest of the sentence. However, "though" is unique because it can be used in several different positions in a sentence.
Look at the following sentence:
"We're planning to go to the park today. But if it rains, we're going to stay home instead."
We'll use this as our main example. Now, let's express the same idea using "though."
- We're planning to go to the park today. If it rains, though, we're going to stay home instead.
- We're planning to go to the park today. We're going to stay home instead if it rains, though.
- We're planning to go to the park today. Though, if it rains, we're going to stay home instead.
Using "though" at the start of a sentence gives it a slightly formal tone, so the other two versions are more common in daily conversations.
Although
Here is our original example using "although" instead of "but."
- We're planning to go to the park today. Although, if it rains, we're going to stay home instead.
Like "though," "although" can also appear in more than one position — however, it does not come at the end of a sentence. Here are some other examples:
- Living in a big city is exciting, although it can also be expensive.
- Although it can be expensive, living in a big city is exciting.
Related article: "On the Other Hand" - Expressions for Making Comparisons
Even though
As we've seen above, both "though" and "although" mean "but." "Even though," however, is different — it means "despite." In other words: "without being affected or influenced by."
- Even though it was dark, Jake wore his sunglasses.
Most people only wear sunglasses to block the sun, but Jake was not affected by the darkness, so he wore them anyway.
- Even though it's cold, Max went for a walk.
Here, Max went for a walk without being affected by the cold weather.
"Even though" can come in two different positions in a sentence.
- Even though it was dark, Jake wore his sunglasses.
- Jake wore his sunglasses even though it was dark.
- Even though it's cold, Max went for a walk.
- Max went for a walk even though it's cold.
Despite
You can replace "even though" with "despite" in the above examples, but you'll need to make some changes. Notice below that "despite" comes before nouns or verbs in the -ing form.
- Despite the darkness, Jake wore his sunglasses.
- Despite it being dark, Jake wore his sunglasses.
- Jake wore his sunglasses despite the darkness.
- Jake wore his sunglasses despite it being dark.
- Despite the cold, Max went for a walk.
- Despite it being cold, Max went for a walk.
- Max went for a walk despite the cold.
- Max went for a walk despite it being cold.
Wrap-up
Let's review:
Both "though" and "although" indicate contradiction — or opposites — and can be used in place of "but." "Even though" and "despite" tell the listener that something happens without influence from something else.
It might seem difficult to remember all of this information at once, so we recommend practicing with just one word until you master it. Once you can use it comfortably in different positions in a sentence, move on to the next word until you've learned them all!
Why not book a one-on-one lesson with an Engoo tutor and start practicing today?
