Despite the pronoun

lee filted:
[nq:1]I thought I understood the rule for DESPITE and IN SPITE OF...that they must be followed by a noun, pronoun ... I can't write: 'DESPITE SHE...' 'She' is a pronoun, isn't? Can anyone explain to me why this isn't possible. Thanks.[/nq]
You're on the right track, but "despite" and "in spite of" function as prepositions, so the "noun, pronoun or -ing form" must be in the obje

lee wrote on 26 May 2004:
[nq:1]I thought I understood the rule for DESPITE and IN SPITE OF...that they must be followed by a noun, pronoun ... why I can't write: 'DESPITE SHE...' 'She' is a pronoun, isn't? Can anyone explain to me why this isn't possible.[/nq]
You're not supposed to write "In spite of she" either. It's not a mystery. You have to use the object form (if there is one) of th

[nq:1]I thought I understood the rule for DESPITE and IN SPITE OF...that they must be followed by a noun, pronoun ... I can't write: 'DESPITE SHE...' 'She' is a pronoun, isn't? Can anyone explain to me why this isn't possible. Thanks.[/nq]
'Despite' is a preposition, which would take the objective case of the pronoun- Despite her..., in spite of her... .

john

[nq:1]I thought I understood the rule for DESPITE and IN SPITE OF...that they must be followed by a noun, pronoun ... I can't write: 'DESPITE SHE...' 'She' is a pronoun, isn't? Can anyone explain to me why this isn't possible. Thanks.[/nq]
I've never heard of such a rule.
But "despite she" looks wrong. Perhaps if you could add a few words to make a complete sentence, it might be more comme

Steve Hayes wrote on 26 May 2004:
[nq:2]I thought I understood the rule for DESPITE and IN ... Can anyone explain to me why this isn't possible. Thanks.[/nq]
[nq:1]I've never heard of such a rule. But "despite she" looks wrong. Perhaps if you could add a few words ... might be more commentatable upon. Like "Despite she bears eating shoots and leaves, there were lots of dead leaves underfoo

[nq:1]Steve Hayes wrote on 26 May 2004:[/nq]
[nq:2]I've never heard of such a rule. But "despite she" ... shoots and leaves, there were lots of dead leaves underfoot."[/nq]
[nq:1]That would be "she-bears" you mean I take it.[/nq]
Or shebears, if you prefer. That was our house style, but I still had a niggling feeling that some people might read it as sheb-ears.

But does it wor

Steve Hayes wrote on 27 May 2004:
[nq:2]Steve Hayes wrote on 26 May 2004: That would be "she-bears" you mean I take it.[/nq]
[nq:1]Or shebears, if you prefer. That was our house style, but I still had a niggling feeling that some people might read it as sheb-ears. But does it work as an example of "despite" being followed by "she"?[/nq]
Sure, but "she" is functioning as a pronominal ad

[nq:1]Steve Hayes wrote on 26 May 2004:[/nq]
[nq:2]I've never heard of such a rule. But "despite she" ... shoots and leaves, there were lots of dead leaves underfoot."[/nq]
[nq:1]That would be "she-bears" you mean I take it.[/nq]
As in the touching little Bible story of Mary and the child she-bear.

Mike.

Mike Lyle wrote on 27 May 2004:
[nq:2]Steve Hayes wrote on 26 May 2004:[/nq]
[nq:2]That would be "she-bears" you mean I take it.[/nq]
[nq:1]As in the touching little Bible story of Mary and the child she-bear.[/nq]
I don't know that one, I'm sorry to say. Or maybe I'm not sorry. I'll know if I hear it, though.

Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.
For email, replace nu

[nq:2]Steve Hayes wrote on 26 May 2004: That would be "she-bears" you mean I take it.[/nq]
[nq:1]As in the touching little Bible story of Mary and the child she-bear.[/nq]
No, that's "she-bore", a different type of creature.

Alan Crozier
Lund
Sweden