ESL STATION

	ESL Station		Language Depot
	Grammar	Syntax/Writing	Punctuation	Vocabulary	Pronunciation	ESL Station

Page: 1 [ 2 ] 3 4 5 6

Intermediate

PREPOSITIONS SHOWING CAUSE OR CONCESSION:

Due to, because of, and thanks to can all show cause or reason.

Examples:
The baseball game was delayed due to heavy rain.
Thanks to a break in the rain, the game resumed after a half-hour delay.
Despite and in spite of show concession. The sentence expresses a surprising or unexpected result.

Examples:
The plane took off in spite of severe storm conditions.
The pilot was able to land despite poor visibility.
Directions: Read for meaning. Based on the meaning of the sentence, does the prepositional phrase express a cause (reason) or concession (a circumstance that makes the main clause seem unexpected or surprising)? Select the correct answer.

1. Jill is going to the doctor [ ... ] a high fever that won't go away.
inspite of
because of

2. [ ... ] her high fever, she's been going to work.
despite
because of

3. Frank still drives recklessly   carelessly
  [ ... ] several accidents that raised the cost of his insurance.
because of
in spite of

4. [ ... ] having a lot of money, Robert was unhappy.
because of
despite

5. Maria still doesn't study [ ... ] her bad grades.
because of
in spite of

6. [ ... ] the efforts of her teacher, Maria managed to pass the course.
thanks to
despite

7. The school was closed indefinitely for an unspecified time [ ... ] arson   Someone deliberately set it on fire.   .
in spite of
due to

8. The police interrogated   questioned   a student at the school [ ... ] his suspicious    acting in a way that makes him seem guilty
behavior.
because of
in spite of

9. Students and teachers were devastated   extremely shocked and sad    [ ... ] their loss.
in spite of
because of

10. Parents of children at the school worry about their kids [ ... ] the nature of the crime.
due to
despite

11. [ ... ] the efforts of fire fighters, the blaze   the fire    didn't spread beyond the school property.
Despite
Thanks to

12. The students will have to attend classes at schools in other areas [ ... ] this horrible crime.
in spite of
due to

Now LISTEN to all of the sentences.

Next