although vs despite

Question

Hello,"B" is the best answer as far as I can figure out. My questions are:1- What makes "A" wrong?2- "the heavy rains and stream runoff has".  A "have" seems reasonably correct here in view of the subject-verb agreement.What is your opinion?Colgate University is open today, ---- the heavy rains and stream runoff ---- has caused some area streets to be closed due to flooding. A) although / ---- B) despite / thatC) in spite of / ----D) as long as / as thoughE) when / because of

Welkins2139 · Accepted Answer

KilimanjaroHello,

"2- "the heavy rains and stream runoff has". A "have" seems reasonably correct here in view of the subject-verb agreement.What is your opinion?

It seems to me that the first element and the second elment have one similar thing. They are water.

Nona the brit · Answer

It's to do with the emphasis - what is the important information being communicated here? The university wants its students to know that it is open during the period of flooding.

Colgate University is open today, although the heavy rains and stream runoff has caused some area streets to be closed due to flooding.

(Only the first part is of interest to the university. It might be nice and tell the students that some surrounding streets are closed, to make their journey planning easier, but it's not really relevant to the fact that the university is open.)

Colgate University is open today, despite the heavy rains and stream runoff that has caused some area streets to be closed due to flooding.

(Ok students, so you thought that the problem in the surrounding streets would mean that we wouldn't be open today, but you are wrong. Ha! You'll have to get out of bed after all!)

Welkins2139 · Answer

Kilimanjaro
Hello,

"Colgate University is open today, ---- the heavy rains and stream runoff ---- has caused some area streets to be closed due to flooding.

A) although / ----
B) despite / that
C) in spite of / ----
D) as long as / as though
E) when / because of

I think

You know that 'although' and 'despite' share the similar meaning. The difference is that 'although the heavy rain...........to the flooding' is an adverbial subordinating clause (I think). And 'despite......flooding' is a prepostional phrase.

Now the question is what the adverbial clause modifies and what the prepostional phraase modifies.

I think the adverbial clause modifies 'is open' so it is not correct.

I think the prepositional phrase modifies 'today' so it is correct.

although vs despite

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