Warm-up

Out loud, before anything else — don't worry about mistakes, just talk.

SPEAK

Tell me one thing you did recently despite not really wanting to. Just one sentence, out loud.

Listen in on this catch-up

Sam: Did you get away this summer in the end?

Alex: We did, actually — despite the flight being delayed by six hours.

Sam: Ouch. Was it worth it?

Alex: Definitely. Owing to the heatwave, the beaches were empty, whereas normally in August you can't move for people.

Sam: So what's next?

Alex: We loved it so much that we're already planning next year.

Look at what Alex does in those three lines. Four different ways of linking ideas, all in one relaxed chat. Can you spot all four? Say them before you check.

Check your answer CLICK
1. "despite the flight being delayed" — despite + -ing, for a problem that didn't stop something.
2. "owing to the heatwave" — owing to + noun, for the reason.
3. "whereas normally in August you can't move" — whereas, for the contrast with what's usual.
4. "so much that we're already planning" — so...that, for the result.

This is why these four matter: they're how you explain contrast, reason, and result without stopping mid-sentence to think.
Today: four ways to link ideas smoothly — despite/although, whereas/while, due to/because, and so/such...that — so you can explain contrasts, reasons, and results without losing your flow.

Despite the Rain

Despite and although both show contrast — but they grab completely different things after them.

Spot the pattern

Compare the first two with the third. What follows despite/in spite of that's different from what follows although? Say it, then check.

Check the pattern CLICK
despite / in spite of + a noun ("the traffic") or an -ing form ("feeling exhausted") — never a full clause.
although + a full clause, subject and verb together ("the traffic was terrible").

Same meaning, completely different grammar after them.
despite / in spite of + noun  or  -ing
although / even though + subject + verb
The classic trap: "despite OF" doesn't exist — despite already means "in spite of", so never add "of" after it. And despite/in spite of can never grab a clause like "it was raining" directly — for that, use although, or despite the fact that.

Quick check

1. You've never liked speaking in front of people, but you agree to give the presentation anyway. Use despite + the -ing form of feel:

"________ nervous about it, I agreed to give the presentation."

2. Same idea, more natural for speech than "although" here — swap it for despite/in spite of + a noun. Type the whole opening (connector + "terrible traffic"):

"________, we got there right on time."

3. You want to keep a full clause after despite. Type the whole opening (connector + "the fact") — the sentence finishes with "that he'd forgotten his wallet...":

"________ that he'd forgotten his wallet, the waiter let him pay later."

Now say it

SPEAK

Tell me three things, out loud, using despite / in spite of + noun or -ing each time:

  1. Something you did despite feeling tired, unwell, or busy...
  2. Something you achieved in spite of a setback or problem...
  3. Something you still do despite people telling you not to...

Two Sides of the Story

Whereas and while don't just mean "but" — they hold two contrasting facts inside a single sentence.

Spot the pattern

What's shared across all three, and where does the comma sit? Say it, then check.

Check the pattern CLICK
clause 1, whereas/while + clause 2 — or flip it: while/whereas + clause 1, clause 2. Full clauses on both sides, each with its own subject and verb. Both words mean roughly "in contrast to the fact that."
clause 1, whereas / while + clause 2
while / whereas + clause 1, clause 2
While has a second job — it can also mean "during the time that" ("While I was cooking, the phone rang"). Whereas only ever means contrast, so if a sentence could be misread as being about timing, whereas removes the doubt.

Quick check

1. Your flatmate loves cooking; you can't even boil an egg. Join the two ideas with whereas:

"My flatmate loves cooking, ________ I can't even boil an egg."

2. Some students revise best under pressure; others need weeks. Start the sentence with whereas:

"________ some students revise best under pressure, others need weeks of preparation."

3. Which fits? "________ I was queuing at the post office, I bumped into an old friend."

Now say it

SPEAK

Give me three sentences about you and someone close to you, where you're opposites. Use whereas or while each time:

  1. Something about daily routine where you two differ...
  2. Something about taste — food, music, films — where you differ...
  3. Something about personality where you differ...

Because, Not Due To

Due to and owing to grab a noun. Because grabs a whole clause. Mixing these up is the single most common slip at this level.

Spot the pattern

Same reason, told two ways. What's different about the grammar right after each connector? Say it, then check.

Check the pattern CLICK
due to / owing to + a noun ("heavy snow", "a staff shortage").
because + a full clause, subject and verb together ("there weren't enough staff").

Same reason, different grammar package — exactly like despite vs although.
due to / owing to + noun
because + subject + verb
"Because of" behaves like due to/owing to — it also takes a noun ("because of the snow"). It's "because" alone that always needs a full clause after it.

Quick check

1. Your flight got cancelled — the reason was a staff strike. Use due to / owing to / because of + a noun:

"The flight was cancelled ________ a staff strike."

2. The shop shut early — the reason is a full clause this time. Type "because" plus the subject ("the owner"); the sentence finishes with "wasn't feeling well":

"The shop shut early ________ wasn't feeling well."

And when the result is big enough...

So and such both introduce a result — but they grab different things too.

Same meaning. What comes right after so, and what comes right after such?

Check the pattern CLICK
so + adjective — no noun. such + a/an + noun — the noun is essential. Both are usually finished off with a result clause starting with that.
so + adjective (+ that...)
such + a/an + noun (+ that...)

3. The traffic was terrible and you missed your flight. Which word fits? "The traffic was ________ bad that we missed our flight."

4. Same story, now with a noun. Complete using such + a/an + nightmare:

"It was ________ that we missed our flight."

Now say it

SPEAK

Tell me about something that got cancelled, delayed, or changed recently:

  1. What happened, and why — use due to / owing to / because...
  2. How big a deal it was — use so...that or such...that...

Your Turn to Talk

Everything together, out loud. This is the whole point of the lesson.

Round 1 — you talk

Think of a plan that changed recently — a trip, an event, a routine, anything.

Talk for one full minute. Try to cover all four:

01:00

Round 2 — you ask

SPEAK

Now interview me — the same topic, other direction. Build your questions out loud with today's grammar:

  1. "What happened despite...?" — one question about a problem I had
  2. Ask me to compare something of mine with something of yours, using whereas or while
  3. "Why did that happen?" — listen for due to / owing to / because in my answer
  4. Finish by asking how big a deal it was — can you get "so...that" or "such...that" into my answer?

Round 3 — pin it down in writing

Write the 3–5 sentence version of what you just said. Use as many of today's four forms as you naturally can — the checker will tell you which it finds.

Mix It Up

Real conversation never tells you which linker to use. Here everything's shuffled.

Which word fits?

1. "The shop stayed open ________ the storm."

2. "________ my brother can fall asleep anywhere, I need total silence to drop off."

3. "The bridge was closed ________ safety concerns."

Fix the mistakes

Each one has a single grammar slip. Say the correct version out loud first, then type the whole sentence.

4. "Despite of the rain, we went for a walk."

5. "Despite it was raining, we went for a walk."

6. "Due to he was late, we missed the film."

7. "Although the rain, we still had the barbecue."

Say it better

SPEAK

Each sentence below is correct but flat. Say a more natural version out loud using today's grammar, then compare:

8. "It was raining. We went for a walk anyway."

Compare with a natural version CLICK
"Despite the rain, we went for a walk." — one smooth sentence instead of two flat ones.

9. "My commute takes an hour. My sister's commute takes ten minutes."

Compare with a natural version CLICK
"My commute takes an hour, whereas my sister's takes just ten minutes." — the contrast is built into the grammar, not left for the listener to notice.

What Do You Remember?

A quick reminder first

1. Reason or result — which word fits? "I was tired, ________ I went to bed early."

Say first, then check — fresh situations

2. Your friend hates flying but still travels for work every year. Use despite + the -ing form of hate:

"________ flying, she still travels for work every year."

3. Your sister plans every trip months in advance; you prefer to turn up and improvise. Join with whereas:

"My sister plans every trip months in advance, ________ I prefer to turn up and improvise."

4. A festival got cancelled — a power cut hit the whole site backstage. Use due to / owing to / because of + a noun:

"The festival was cancelled ________ a power cut."

One last minute of talk

SPEAK

Close the loop: which of the four linkers felt most natural today, which one still needs thinking time, and can you say one sentence right now using the one you found hardest?

Can you now...?

We said: four ways to link ideas so you can explain contrasts, reasons, and results. Tick what's true:

Anything unticked — go back to that tab and run its speaking round again. The checkers will still be there.