Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions are words or phrases that connect a dependent clause to a main clause, showing the relationship between two ideas. At this level, you will master advanced conjunctions that express concession, condition, and contrast with greater precision.

What You'll Learn

How to use unless to express a negative condition
How to use although and even though to show concession (admitting something surprising)
How to use despite and in spite of to contrast expectations with reality
The grammatical differences between these conjunctions and when each is the best choice

When to Use

Negative condition: "You will not pass the exam unless you study consistently." (Unless = if...not)
Concession (mild): "Although the experiment failed, the students learned valuable lessons from the process."
Concession (strong emphasis): "Even though he had practised for months, he did not win the competition."
Contrasting expectations (followed by a noun/gerund): "Despite the heavy rain, the National Day Parade continued as planned."
Contrasting expectations (alternative form): "In spite of her lack of experience, she delivered an impressive presentation."

How to Form

Unless, Although, Even Though

These conjunctions are followed by a subject + verb (a full clause).

Conjunction	Structure	Example
unless	Unless + subject + verb, main clause.	Unless you leave now, you will miss the bus.
although	Although + subject + verb, main clause.	Although the task was difficult, she completed it on time.
even though	Even though + subject + verb, main clause.	Even though it was a public holiday, the hawker centre was quiet.

The dependent clause can also come after the main clause (no comma needed):

Position	Example
Before (comma)	Although he was tired, he finished his homework.
After (no comma)	He finished his homework although he was tired.

Despite, In Spite Of

These are followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund (-ing form) -- never a full clause with a subject and verb.

Phrase	Structure	Example
despite	Despite + noun/gerund, main clause.	Despite the delay, we arrived on time.
in spite of	In spite of + noun/gerund, main clause.	In spite of feeling unwell, she attended the rehearsal.

Converting Between Forms

You can express the same idea using different conjunctions. Knowing how to convert between forms is a key P6 skill.

Although / Even Though (clause)	Despite / In Spite Of (noun/gerund)
Although she was exhausted, she kept running.	Despite her exhaustion, she kept running.
Even though it rained heavily, the match went on.	In spite of the heavy rain, the match went on.
Although he studied hard, he did not score well.	Despite studying hard, he did not score well.

Key Rules

Unless means "if...not": "Unless you hurry, we will be late" means the same as "If you do not hurry, we will be late." Do not use "unless" with a negative verb -- it creates a double negative.
Although vs Even Though: Both show concession, but even though is stronger and more emphatic. Use even though when the contrast is surprising or extreme: "Even though she had a broken ankle, she finished the race."
Despite and In Spite Of take nouns or gerunds, not clauses: Write "Despite the noise" or "Despite being noisy," NOT "~~Despite it was noisy~~." If you want to use a full clause, switch to although or even though.
Despite vs In Spite Of: These two are interchangeable in meaning. Despite is slightly more formal and concise. In spite of is three words but carries the same meaning. Both are correct in examinations.
Comma placement: When the subordinate clause comes first, use a comma before the main clause. When the main clause comes first, no comma is needed: "She smiled although she was nervous."
Do not combine although/even though with but: Since both express contrast, using them together is redundant. Write "Although it rained, we went out" -- NOT "~~Although it rained, but we went out~~."

Common Mistakes

Wrong	Right	Why
Unless you don't study, you will fail.	Unless you study, you will fail.	"Unless" already means "if not" -- adding "don't" creates a double negative
Despite she was tired, she kept going.	Despite being tired, she kept going.	"Despite" must be followed by a noun or gerund, not a clause
Although he was late, but he still got a seat.	Although he was late, he still got a seat.	Do not pair "although" with "but" -- both show contrast
Inspite of the traffic, we arrived early.	In spite of the traffic, we arrived early.	"In spite of" is three separate words, not one
Even though the heavy rain, the event continued.	Even though it rained heavily, the event continued.	"Even though" needs a full clause (subject + verb), not just a noun phrase
He will succeed unless he works hard.	He will succeed if he works hard.	"Unless" introduces a negative condition -- use "if" for positive conditions

Clue Words

Condition signals (negative)

unless, or else, otherwise

Concession signals (clause-based)

although, even though, though, while, whereas

Concession signals (noun/gerund-based)

despite, in spite of, regardless of, notwithstanding

Conversion clue -- choosing the right form

If the next word is a noun or -ing verb: use despite or in spite of
If the next words are a subject + verb: use although or even though

Tip: Check what comes after the blank. See a noun or -ing word? Pick "despite" or "in spite of." See a subject doing something (e.g., "he was," "she tried")? Pick "although" or "even though."

Practice Tips

The "if not" swap: When you see unless, try replacing it with "if...not." If the sentence still makes sense, you have used "unless" correctly. "Unless you ask = If you do not ask."
Check what follows: After writing despite or in spite of, look at the next word. It must be a noun (the rain, her effort) or a gerund (running, studying). If you see a pronoun + verb (he was, they had), switch to although or even though.
Remove the double contrast: Read your sentence aloud. If you hear both "although" and "but," delete one of them. The sentence only needs one contrast signal.
Convert for practice: Take any sentence with "although" and rewrite it using "despite," and vice versa. This builds flexibility and prepares you for transformation questions.

Quick Reference

Conjunction	Followed by	Meaning	Example
unless	subject + verb	if...not (negative condition)	Unless you call, I will not come.
although	subject + verb	concession (mild)	Although he was young, he spoke confidently.
even though	subject + verb	concession (strong)	Even though she fell, she got back up.
despite	noun / gerund	concession	Despite the crowd, he found his friend.
in spite of	noun / gerund	concession	In spite of losing, they remained cheerful.

Common Trap	How to Avoid It
unless + negative verb	Remove the negative -- "unless" already means "if not"
despite + clause	Switch to "although" or change the clause to a noun/gerund
although...but	Delete "but" -- "although" already signals contrast
in spite of (one word)	Always write as three words: "in spite of"
even though + noun (no verb)	Add a subject + verb, or switch to "despite"

Subordinating Conjunctions (P6) (Primary 6)