List I

as if – as though

as if / though + subject + present /past verb

as if / though + subject +past verb with present meaning

1. As if and as though mean the same .
We use them to say what a situation seems like.

  • It looks as if/ though it’s going to rain
  • I felt as if/ though I was dying

2. We can use a past tense with a present meaning after as it/though.
This means that the idea is unreal.

  • He looks as if he’s rich (perhaps he is rich)
  • She talks as if she was rich (but she isn’t)

We can use were instead of was when we express unreal ideas after as it/ though.
This is common in a formal style.

  • She talks as if she were rich.

3.  Like is often used instead of as if/ though , especially in American English
This is very informal.

  • It looks like it’s going to rain

Although / though / even though, In spite of / despite

After although we use a subject + verb:’

  • Although it rained a lot, we enjoyed our holiday.
  • I didn’t get the job although I had the necessary qualifications.

Compare the meaning of although and because:

  • We went out although it was raining.
  • We didn’t go out because it was raining.

After in spite of or despite, we use a noun, a pronoun (this/that/what etc.) or -ing:

  • In spite of the rain, we enjoyed our holiday.
  • I didn’t get the job in spite of having the necessary qualifications.
  • She wasn’t well, but in spite of this she went to work.
  • In spite of what I said yesterday, I still love you.

Despite is the same as in spite of. We say in spite of, but despite [without of):

  • She wasn’t well, but despite this she went to work.(not despite of this)

You can say in spite of the fact (that) … and despite the fact (that) … :

  • I didn’t get the job in spite of the fact (that) I had the necessary qualifications.
    I didn’t get the job despite the fact (that) I had the necessary qualifications.

Compare in spite of and because of:

  • We went out in spite of the rain, (or … despite the rain.)
  • We didn’t go out because of the rain.

Compare although and in spite of / despite:

  • Although the traffic was bad,/In spite of the traffic, we arrived on time,
    (not     In spite of the traffic was bad)
  • I couldn’t sleep, although I was very tired./despite being very tired.
    (not     despite I was tired)

Sometimes we use though instead of although:

  • I didn’t get the job though I had the necessary qualifications.

In spoken English we often use though at the end of a sentence:

  • The house isn’t very nice. I like the garden though. (= but I like the garden)
  • I see them every day. I’ve never spoken to them though. (= but I’ve never spoken to them)

Even though (but not ‘even’ alone) is a stronger form of although:

  • Even though I was really tired, I couldn’t sleep, (not Even I was really tired …)

At the end, in the end

At the end (of something) = at the time when something ends.

  • at the end of the month
  • at the end of January
  • at the end of the game
  • at the end of the film
  • at the end of the course
  • at the end of the concert
  • I’m going away at the end of January / at the end of the month.
  • At the end of the concert, there was great applause.
  • The players shook hands at the end of the game.

You cannot say ‘in the end of …’. So you cannot say ‘in the end of January’ or ‘in the end of the concert’.

The opposite of at the end (of …) is at the beginning (of …):

  • I’m going away at the beginning of January, (not in the beginning)

In the end = finally.

We use in the end when we say what the final result of a situation was:

  • We had a lot of problems with our car. We sold it in the end. (= finally we sold it)
  • He got more and more angry. In the end he just walked out of the room.
  • Alan couldn’t decide where to go for his holidays. He didn’t go anywhere in the end. (not at the end)

The opposite of in the end is usually at first:

  • At first we didn’t get on very well, but in the end we became good friends.