"Grammar is not the end in learning a language but it is the best mean to reach a flawless proficiency at using it"

                                                                              Allisson Márquez, 2020

Concessive clauses

What are concessive clauses? 

Concessive clauses are dependent sentences introduced by a contrastive conjuction that, according to the Cambridge Dictionary (2020), expresses an idea that suggests the opposite of the main part of the sentence. They can come before or after the main clause. 

To put it in another way, the Macmillan Dictionary (2020) points out that concessive clauses are subordinate conjuntions that make a statement that is unexpected in some way or contrasts with information in another clause.

Now that we know what is a concessive, it's feasable to talk about conjuctions of contrast as this kind of clauses needs one of those to express meaning.

Here you have a list of the most common ones: 

• Although (more formal than "though"): 
• Though
• Despite
• In spite of (more formal thab "despite")
• Even if
• Even though
• Much as
• Whereas (more formal than "while")
• While

All of the conjuctions above, express contrast in the ideas they link. Let's see some examples: 

1. Although I was fired unfairly, I still could raise from the ashes and make a living by setting up my own business. 💪

📌NOTE:  these clauses are interchangeable when it comes to location, so we can put the concessive clause at the beginning or at the end of the sentence with no change in meaning:  I still could raise from the ashes and make a living by setting up my own business although I was fired unfairly. 

👀LOOK OUT! If you're writing the concessive clause at the beginning of the sentence, you need to include a comma that separates both clauses. On the contrary, if you write it at the end, you don't need to do it (re-read the examples to notice it). 

Two more examples: 

2. I made it to arrive on time despite there were awful lots of traffic jams. 

3. Whereas most people rather go with the flow when it comes to fads, I prefer to break the rules by wearing what I want. 

You're all set to put that theory into practice! Check out the Kahoot quiz below to prove yourself that even though this might be a new topic for you, you still can succeed at concessive clauses 😉

https://create.kahoot.it/details/66f17fd7-de19-4775-b061-214583177f9d

SEE YOU AROUND!

For further information visit these references: 

Cambridge Dictionary (2020). Concessive clauses.  https://dictionary.cambridge.org/es/diccionario/ingles/concessive-clause

Macmillan Dictionary (2020). Concessive clauses.

https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/concessive-clause#:~:text=concessive%20clauses,with%20information%20in%20another%20clause.