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“Although” is a conjunction that is often used to show a contrast, but sometimes it can be difficult to know when to use it in a sentence. There are a few simple rules to keep in mind when you’re constructing a sentence that includes “although.” By sticking with a basic format and avoiding common mistakes, you can start using “although” in your everyday conversations and in writing.
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Identify the contrast you want to communicate. “Although,” similar to “despite” and “in spite of,” is a way explaining a contrast, which is when two things are at odds. If you want to show a contrast, then you may want to use “although” in your sentence. Some examples of contrast sentences that use “although” include:[1]
- Although the beach was crowded, we still had a lovely day.
- I ate the whole sandwich, although it tasted terrible.
- My dog is friendly, although he barks loudly.
- Although Gloria studied, she still failed.
Tip: Remember that a contrast is when you want to show that two things are different, whereas a comparison is when you want to show how two things are similar. Don’t use “although” to compare things as this won’t make sense.
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Position “although” at the beginning or middle of a sentence. “Although” may start a sentence or show up in the middle of a sentence as a conjunction. It cannot end a sentence. Make sure that you are using “although” as your first word of the sentence, or after a comma in the middle of a sentence. Some examples include:[2]
- “Although Tammy was tired, she continued to study.”
- “I love pizza, although it gives me heartburn.”
- “Although my family drives me crazy, I couldn’t live without them.”
- “We danced all night, although we took several breaks for food and water.”
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Place the noun or subject after “although.” When writing a sentence that includes “although,” always place a subject after “although.” The subject may be a noun, which is a person, place, or thing, or a pronoun, which takes the place of a noun, such as “he,” “she,” “we,” “it,” or “they.”[3]
- For example, in the sentence, “Although the beach was crowded, we still had a lovely day,” the noun that follows although is “the beach.”
- In the sentence, “I ate the whole sandwich, although it tasted terrible,” the pronoun “it” stands in for “sandwich” in the second half of the sentence.
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Follow the subject or noun with a verb to describe the action. After you place the subject of the sentence, include a verb that describes the subject’s action. The verb goes right after the noun or pronoun in the sentence.[4]
- For example, in the sentence, “My dog is friendly, although he barks loudly,” the verb that follows the subject is “barks.”
- In the sentence, “Although I studied, I still failed,” the verb that follows the subject is “studied.”
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Add qualifiers and adjectives to enhance the contrast. Once you have established a basic sentence that features a subject and verb after although, you can incorporate adjectives and qualifiers.[5]
This will help to enhance the contrast and communicate a more detailed idea. Some examples include:- Instead of “Although Gloria studied, she still failed,” you could say “Although Gloria studied daily, she still failed the math test.” The addition of “daily” and “the math test” gives more information about how much Gloria studied and what she failed.
- Instead of “I ate the whole sandwich, although it tasted terrible, you might say, “I quickly ate the whole sandwich, although it tasted like rotten eggs.” The addition of “quickly” describes how you ate the sandwich while swapping “terrible” with “rotten eggs” adds detail about the unpleasant flavor of the sandwich.
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Use “although” when you want to sound more formal. “Although” appears frequently in English, but it works the same as other contrasting conjunctions, such as “though,” “despite,” and “in spite of.” If you want to sound slightly more formal, then using “although” may be a good choice. However, if you’re trying to sound more casual, then you might want to go with something like “though” instead.[6]
- “Despite” and “in spite of” may also sound somewhat formal, so you may want to reserve these words for more formal communications as well.
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Don’t always use “although” interchangeably with “though.” “Although” and “though” can be used in some of the same instances, but “though” also works as an adverb. Since “although” can only be used as a conjunction, you can’t use it in all of the same situations that you can use “though.”[7]
- For example, you could not swap “although” for “though” in this sentence: “Yesterday, though, the mall was busy.” In this instance, “though” is an adverb rather than a conjunction. Placing “although” in the sentence would not work because the sentence doesn’t need a conjunction.
- Likewise, you cannot replace “though” with “although” in a sentence that reads, “Things were about to get crazy, though, as a bus full of children arrived at the museum.” Once again, “though” is an adverb and “although” would not work as it is a conjunction.
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Avoid using “although” in place of “however.” These words have similar meanings but they are not always the same in how you can use them, so don’t use them interchangeably. “However” can function as an adverb and as a conjunction, so sometimes it can take the place of although or vice versa, but not always.[8]
- For example, a sentence that reads, “Although she was busy, she still made time for lunch,” would not work with “however” in place of “although.”
- A sentence that reads, “However, there was no need for a second opinion,” would not work with “although” in its place since using “although” would indicate that a contrasting statement will follow this one. That would make the sentence a fragment.
Tip: “However” can begin a sentence or it may come in the middle of a compound sentence after a semi-colon. Always follow “however” with a comma no matter where it appears. “Although” may begin or divide a sentence into 2 parts, but it doesn’t require a comma after it, only before it if it’s in the middle of the sentence.[9]
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Place a comma before “although” to use it in the middle of a sentence. “Although” sometimes comes at the beginning of a sentence, but other times it may appear in the middle of a sentence. Since “although” is a conjunction, place a comma before it when it is in the middle of a sentence.[10]
- For example, in the sentence, “We had a great time at the park, although it rained,” the comma comes before “although.” This creates a pause that makes the sentence flow more smoothly.
- An exception would be if you included a second conjunction prior to “although,” such as “and” or “so.” In these cases, the comma would go before the other conjunction. For example, “Near the end of the race I fell, and although I got back up right away, I did not win the race.” In this sentence, “and” is also a conjunction, so it requires a comma before it.
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Watch out for sentence fragments. It’s easy to end up with a sentence fragment when you use “although” since it is sometimes mistaken for other words and it has a very specific usage. Check your writing carefully for fragments whenever you use “although” and correct them if needed. Some examples of fragments include:
- “Although, the beach was beautiful.”
- “We had a fun time, although.”
- “Although, they lost their money.”
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The English language is filled with words that we don’t fully understand or often confuse with other words. The word «although» is one of them. Most people seem to think that «although» is interchangeable with other words such as «but» or «however». Let’s take a closer look at the word «although» and how to correctly use it in sentences.
«Although» is actually a conjunction used to convey contrast. However, it can be challenging to know how and when to use it in a sentence. In simpler terms, «although» is used to introduce a subordinate clause which makes the information contained in the main clause relevant.
Definition of «Although»
«Although» is a conjunction or «joining word» that means «even though» or «in spite of the fact that.»
It is used to connect clauses, phrases, or sentences. But the word «although» is primarily used to contrast facts. So the word «although» can be used to say that something is true even if it seems to disagree with the other information, or express different feelings or connect statements that have different moods.
How to Use «Although» in a Sentence
The word «although» is similar to «in spite of» and «despite»». Therefore, it is a means of communicating a contrast or revealing when two things are in conflict. Most people use «although» in a sentence to show a contrast.
Example: Although the park was crowded, they had an awesome time.
A contrast is used when your aim is to convey how two things are not alike, and a comparison is used to prove that two entities are the same or similar. So if you happen to use «although» when trying to weigh up or balance two things, it won’t make much sense at all.
Where to Position the Word «Although»
The word «although» may be positioned in the middle or beginning of a sentence. So «although» can be used to begin a sentence or alternatively may be placed in the middle of a sentence as a conjunction. However, it cannot be used to end a sentence. As a rule of thumb, «although» should be used at the beginning of a sentence or in the middle, after a comma.
Example: Although it gives him heartburn, he loves Pepsi.
Example: He loves Pepsi, although it gives him heartburn.
Where to Place the Noun or Subject
It is important to always use a subject after «although» when you write a sentence that involves «although.» The subject could be a noun such as a person, thing, place, or pronoun that replaces the noun, which may be «she,» «it,» «we,» or «they.»
Example: Although the event was filled to capacity, I still had a great time.
«the event» is the noun following «although.»
I ate the entire pizza, although it tasted disgusting. «it» is the pronoun that replaces «pizza» in the latter half of the sentence.
Following the subject with a Verb
Make use of a verb that describes the subject’s action after you place the subject of the sentence.
Example: My dogs are friendly, although they bark loudly.
«Bark» is the given verb that comes after the subject.
How to Enhance the Contrast Using Qualifiers and Adjectives
Adjectives and qualifiers may be incorporated once you’ve noted a sentence that includes both a verb and subject. This action aims to convey a more comprehensive idea and, of course, enhance the contrast you are trying to show.
Example: Instead of» Although Mike studied, he still failed.»
You may choose to say, «Although Mike studied daily, he still failed the history test.»
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The word «although» should be used in case you want to come across as more formal. Although «although» is seen quite regularly in the English language, it works in much the same way as other joining words like in spite of, despite, and even though. So it is suggested that you use»although» when your aim is to sound formal. But if you are in a casual setting and see it fit to sound more casual, then use words like «though» in place of «although.»
«Although» is not always interchangeable with «though.» «Though» and «although» can in many instances be used in the same types of sentences, but the word «though» is also used as an adverb. So what this means is that «although» is a conjunction and therefore cannot be used the way «though» can in all the same sentences or situations.
Example: On Thursday, though, the mail was busy. «though» in this example is an adverb and not a conjunction. So this sentence does not need a conjunction, and there is no use for the word «although» in it.
Lots of people believe that «although» can be used to replace «however.» These two words are sometimes not the same in terms of how you can use them, so while they have their similarities, you should not use them synonymously. The difference with «however» is that you may use it as an adverb and a conjunction. So «however» may take the place of «although» but not in all instances.
Example: Although his schedule was hectic, he still found the time to relax. This sentence would not make sense if you replaced «although» with «however.»
The word «however» may be used to start a sentence or can also be used after a semi-colon in the middle of a compound sentence. Irrespective of where in the sentence «however» is used, it should in all instances be followed by a comma, and that is the standard rule of thumb.
When using «although» in the middle of a sentence, place a comma before it.
When using «although» at the start of a sentence, you don’t need to use a comma after it.
Example: We had a fantastic day at the pool, although it rained. As you can see, the comma is placed before «although.» The sentence flows smoothly because the word «although» creates a pause.
Be Aware of Sentence Fragments
The word «although» has quite a specific usage and is sometimes mistaken for other words, and this causes a sentence fragment. So when using «although,» always check your statements and sentences for fragments and make the necessary corrections.
Example: Although, the bride was stunning.
Example Sentences with the Word «Although»
Examples with the Word «Although» Used at the Beginning
- Although weeping may endure for a night, joy comes in the morning.
- Although we suffer, we still overcome.
- Although she is young, she is still very independent.
- Although small, the kitchen is still designed well.
- Although she was ill, she went to work.
- Although she’s very old, she’s very active.
- Although the sun was shining, it still wasn’t very hot.
- Although I poured it with caution, it still spilt.
- Although persistence and patience are painful, they can still bring you great benefits.
- Although Jake was once involved in crime, he works hard and earns an honest living these days.
- Although he is poor, he has not lost his integrity.
- Although she entered the contest just for fun, she took first prize.
- Although I don’t have a car, I still get where I’m going.
- Although it doesn’t seem like it, the entire thing is well organized.
- Although they lived there for over a decade, the villagers still treat them as outsiders.
- Although the main characters in the movie are so true to life, they are all imaginary.
Examples with the Word «Although» Used in the Middle
- Certainly, this could happen, although the odds are remote.
- The wood appeared to be cherry, and although it could use a coat of wax, it still had a great shine.
- She always wanted kids, although this is not how she intended to start a family.
- I’m really looking forward to the concert, although there are a million things I need to get done first.
- Mary, although half her age, was still taller by an extra 2 inches.
- She joined Mark at the dining table, although Sharon would have preferred to be alone.
- This was true, although we were at a loss when it came to how she knew.
- She was an accomplished singer and songwriter, although not many had heard of her.
- She knew that there were 10 of us, although no information by conveyed to her.
- All of us took turns wishing Jane a good journey, although she insisted it was unnecessary.
- They loved speaking in their mother tongue, although it sounded strange to everyone else.
- It will be English, although not the language we speak currently.
- I love the winter season, although I hate feeling cold.
- My dogs are enormous, although they are still puppies.
- The thought did cross my mind that, although the dress wasn’t the most expensive, it still looked striking on my daughter.
Conclusion
So as you can see, the word «although» is a conjunction that is used quite often in the English language. But it is important to learn how and when to correctly use it in sentences, whether in the written or spoken form.
Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. He’s one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. You don’t even want to know what he calls pancakes.
Asked by: Mr. Reed Heidenreich IV
Score: 5/5
(63 votes)
Position “although” at the beginning or middle of a sentence.
- “Although Tammy was tired, she continued to study.”
- “I love pizza, although it gives me heartburn.”
- “Although my family drives me crazy, I couldn’t live without them.”
- “We danced all night, although we took several breaks for food and water.”
How do you use although in a sentence?
Although Sentence Examples
- Although she had said the words «I love you,» several times, he had not uttered them.
- Certainly this could happen, although the odds are remote.
- Although she was far away, she could see that he was watching her.
- Although she was exhausted, sleep didn’t come.
Do you put a comma before although in the middle of a sentence?
a. Common starter words for introductory clauses that should be followed by a comma include after, although, as, because, if, since, when, while. … However, don’t put a comma after the main clause when a dependent (subordinate) clause follows it (except for cases of extreme contrast).
Is there a comma before although?
The words «whereas» and «although» are subordinating conjunctions. The general rule for subordinating conjunctions states that you shouldn’t use a comma before a subordinating conjunction that comes after the main clause. … They are used where a dependent clause is contrasting to the main clause (a bit like «but»).
Where should we use although?
Although, even though, in spite of and despite are all used to link two contrasting ideas or show that one fact makes the other fact surprising. They can all be used at the beginning or in the middle of the sentence. Despite the rain, we enjoyed the festival. We enjoyed the festival, despite the rain.
21 related questions found
Can I use although and but in the same sentence?
When you use although as a subordinate conjunction to introduce a subordinate clause, there must be a main clause to complete the sentence. So if you use although as a subordinate conjunction in one clause and but as a coordinate conjunction in the other clause, the sentence will be incorrect grammatically.
How do you use although in a conjunction?
Since “although” is a conjunction, place a comma before it when it is in the middle of a sentence. For example, in the sentence, “We had a great time at the park, although it rained,” the comma comes before “although.” This creates a pause that makes the sentence flow more smoothly.
How do you use a comma with although?
When the though/although clause comes before the main clause, we usually put a comma at the end of the clause. When the main clause comes first, we don’t need to use a comma: Even though I earn a lot of money every month, I never seem to have any to spare! I still feel hungry even though I had a big lunch.
Does although need a semicolon?
When the word «however» is used as an adverb (a conjunctive adverb) to introduce an adverbial clause (a dependent clause), a comma should be used before and after the adverb. A semicolon can be used before it if you prefer. … The word «although» is a conjunction only. The same rules apply as above.
Is Though the same as although?
Originally, although was two words—all though—where the all was used to emphasize though. Generally, although is used in more formal writing, though not always. … Though is more often used in speech and casual writing. Additionally, although usually begins a sentence, while though can come at the beginning of any clause.
How do you use Although And however?
The biggest difference between the two is that ‘however’ can be used at the beginning of a sentence, whereas ‘although’ cannot. The two words have very similar meanings. Although means “in spite of the fact that…” and however simply means ‘but’.
Why we use although in sentence?
You use although to introduce a subordinate clause which contains a statement which makes the main clause of the sentence seem surprising or unexpected. … You use although to introduce a subordinate clause which gives some information that is relevant to the main clause but modifies the strength of that statement.
How do you explain although to a child?
The adverbial “although” means the same thing as “despite the fact that”. We use “although” at the beginning of a clause which contains information that contrasts in an unexpected or surprising way with information in another clause. For example: Although it was raining, we went for a walk.
What do you mean by although?
: in spite of the fact that : even though They are good friends, although they don’t see each other very often.
Can although be used as a conjunctive adverb?
This punctuation implies that these words are conjunctions (conjunctive adverbs) that start a new sentence. Instead, whereas and although are conjunctions (subordinate conjunctions) that start dependent clauses.
Can although be used as an adverb?
Although is never an adverb.
Can you start a sentence with although in academic writing?
Yes, you can start a sentence with although! If you start a sentence with an although idea, end the idea with a comma, and follow it with a real sentence. Suppose you wrote “Although the hurricane was headed our way.” This is an extra idea that can’t end with a period.
Can we start a paragraph with although?
1 Answer. There is no grammatical rule against using «although» at the beginning of a sentence or at the beginning of a paragraph. This is more a question of style and how you wish to present the language you are using or the story you are telling.
Should I use although or but?
In almost all situations but and although are synonyms. Although is slightly more formal, and is preferred if you want to stress that both halves of your statement may be true. But is used when you wish to stress contradiction between the halves of the statement.
Is although But correct?
Both clauses are coordinated by although. Using ‘But’ here not only is unnecessary, but, it also suggests that the reader look back, to what ‘Although’ was referring to in a different form. Although is referring to the clause that you are attempting to conjugate with the coordinating conjunction ‘but’.
What is the difference between although and despite?
Both despite and although are used to indicate a contrast; however, there are differences in the way they are used in sentences. The grammatical differences between these two terms are the main cause behind the difference between despite and although; although is a conjunction whereas despite is a preposition.
How do you write a complex sentence with although?
«Although she complains a lot, she’s my best friend.» «Although he acts tough, he’s really a nice guy.» «Although my dog is blind, he can still play fetch.» «Although it’s loud and crowded, I love concerts.»
Is although a complex sentence?
Subordinating Conjunctions in Complex Sentences
The most common subordinating conjunctions are although, because, before, even though, if, since, until, and when. In these examples of complex sentences, the subordinating conjunctions are shown in bold.
- Although she had said the words “I love you,” several times, he had not uttered them. …
- Certainly this could happen, although the odds are remote. …
- Although she was far away, she could see that he was watching her. …
- Although she was exhausted, sleep didn’t come.
Is there a comma before or after although?
Common starter words for introductory clauses that should be followed by a comma include after, although, as, because, if, since, when, while. While I was eating, the cat scratched at the door. Because her alarm clock was broken, she was late for class.
Is it wrong to start a sentence with although?
Yes, you can start a sentence with although! If you start a sentence with an although idea, end the idea with a comma, and follow it with a real sentence. Suppose you wrote “Although the hurricane was headed our way.” This is an extra idea that can’t end with a period.
How do you punctuate although?
When the though/although clause comes before the main clause, we usually put a comma at the end of the clause. When the main clause comes first, we don’t need to use a comma: Even though I earn a lot of money every month, I never seem to have any to spare! I still feel hungry even though I had a big lunch.
How do you punctuate although in the middle of a sentence?
Since “although” is a conjunction, place a comma before it when it is in the middle of a sentence. For example, in the sentence, “We had a great time at the park, although it rained,” the comma comes before “although.” This creates a pause that makes the sentence flow more smoothly.
How do you punctuate whereas in a sentence?
The rule of thumb is: When you contrast two things, use a comma. “Whereas” is typically used to contrast two things: correct I am very tall, whereas my wife is quite short. wrong I am very tall whereas my wife is quite short.
What kind of a word is although?
Although is a conjunction that means in spite of the fact that or even though. Although is used to connect phrases, clauses, or sentences.
Can you start an introduction with although?
There is no grammatical rule against using “although” at the beginning of a sentence or at the beginning of a paragraph. This is more a question of style and how you wish to present the language you are using or the story you are telling.
What is the difference between Although And even though?
Even though has the same meaning as although. It also indicates contrast. Therefore, it is also used after a clause, just like although. The only difference between although and even though is that even though often indicates a stronger and a more emphatic contrast.
Does my sentence need a comma?
Commas don’t just signify pauses in a sentence — precise rules govern when to use this punctuation mark. Commas are needed before coordinating conjunctions, after dependent clauses (when they precede independent clauses), and to set off appositives. The Oxford comma reduces ambiguity in lists.
Can you put However in the middle of a sentence?
Another, less common, meaning for ‘however’ is ‘no matter how‘. You can use it in the middle of a sentence without a comma after it. I couldn’t bring myself to give up my thermal vest, however tired I was of being teased for it. You can also put it at the beginning of your sentence, without a comma afterwards.
What can I say instead of Although?
Synonyms of although
- albeit,
- as,
- howbeit,
- much as,
- notwithstanding,
- though,
- when,
- whereas,
What is although an example of?
Though, even though, in spite of the fact that: introducing a clause that expresses a concession. Although it was very muddy, the football game went on. The definition of although is regardless of a fact. Buying something even if it is expensive is an example of although.
How do you use the word although and but in a sentence?
1 Answer. Although, you are providing a conjunction for a clause, it is declarative, like this one; but, I can use ‘but’ here, because this clause is immediate. This site is helpful. The reason your usage is incorrect, is because you are referring to the same clause using two different conjunctions.
Is although a transition word?
Although, at any rate, at least, still, thought, even though, granted that, while it may be true, in spite of, of course. Similarly, likewise, in like fashion, in like manner, analogous to. Above all, indeed, truly, of course, certainly, surely, in fact, really, in truth, again, besides, also, furthermore, in addition.
What is the best meaning of although?
: in spite of the fact that : even though They are good friends, although they don’t see each other very often.
What is the difference between although and nevertheless?
“Nevertheless” has the some connotations of being “in spite of” something. For example: “The army ran out of rations on the 14th day of their march, only half way to their destination. Nevertheless, they trudged onward.” “Although, they trudged onward.” wouldn’t sound quite the same to me.
What is the purpose of the word although?
You use although to introduce a subordinate clause which contains a statement that makes the main clause of the sentence seem surprising or unexpected.
Can I use whereas in the middle of a sentence?
Do you need a comma before “whereas”? Any time “whereas” appears in the middle of a sentence, you will need a comma before it. This is because “whereas” is a subordinating conjunction, a type of word used to connect a dependent clause to the main clause of the sentence.
What is a Whereas statement?
In a contract a whereas clause is an introductory statement that means “considering that” or “that being the case.” The clause explains the reasons for the execution of the contract and, in some cases, describes its purpose.
Can you start a sentences with Whereas?
Yes, the word ‘whereas‘ can absolutely be used to start a sentence.
How do you use in the middle of a sentence?
Use a comma before while in the middle of a sentence when you mean “whereas” or “although.” I prefer chocolate cake, while my sister prefers key lime pie. I prefer chocolate cake while my sister prefers key lime pie. The price of eggs is rising, while the price of milk has stayed the same.
Is despite formal?
In spite of and despite have a similar meaning to although or even though. They express a contrast between two things. They are both more common in writing than in speaking. Despite is a little more formal than in spite of.
ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN USE FOR INTERMEDIATE
UNIT 113. Although/ though/ even though
In spite of/ despite
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EXERCISES
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Complete the sentences. Use although
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Complete the sentences with although
Use your own ideas to complete the following
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Make one sentence from two. Use the
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Use the words in brackets to make a
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ANSWER KEY