These prepositions connect ideas of contrast and cause — they make your writing sound more advanced and cohesive. This lesson covers despite, except, without, because of, instead of, and due to, and answers two questions intermediate learners search for most: despite vs in spite of and because of vs due to.

Despite vs in spite of

Good news: despite and in spite of mean exactly the same thing and are used the same way. The only difference is form — despite is one word, in spite of is three. Both are followed by a noun, pronoun, or -ing form (never by a subject + verb).

• We went swimming despite the cold water.
• We went swimming in spite of the cold water.
• He passed the test despite being ill. (despite + -ing)

Despite vs although: although is a conjunction, so it is followed by a subject + verb: Although it was raining, we went out. But Despite the rain, we went out.

Because of vs due to

Both show cause, but they attach to different words. A simple test: due to can be replaced by “caused by”; because of cannot.

• We cancelled the trip because of the rain. (after a verb)
• The cancellation was due to the rain. (after a noun + be)

Contrast & cause prepositions in detail

Common mistakes to avoid

• ❌ Despite of the rain, we went out. → ✅ Despite the rain… (no of after despite)
• ❌ Although the cold water, we swam. → ✅ Despite the cold water… or Although the water was cold…
• ❌ Instead of to go out, we stayed home. → ✅ Instead of going out… (instead of + -ing)

💡 IELTS tip

Contrast and cause prepositions are powerful in IELTS Writing Task 2: “Despite rising costs, demand increased, largely because of better marketing.” Using despite, due to and instead of accurately raises your Grammatical Range beyond simple but and so.

Frequently asked questions

Related on Simply IELTS

• ➡️ Continue: Lesson 9: Formal & Academic Prepositions
• 📚 Part of the Prepositions in English course.
• 🔗 Related: Complex sentences & noun clauses for Band 7.