Modern Spanish Grammar: A Practical Guide

EXPRESSING CONTRAST OR OPPOSITION 52.1Aunque llueve iremos. (see 52.1.3)Even though it’s raining we’ll go.Aunque es difícil lo haré. (see 52.1.3)Even though it’s difficult I’ll do it.Aunque may introduce a sentence which is an answer to an objection, in which casethe verb which follows will be in the subjunctive, even when the informationintroduced by aunque is a fact.Aunque no te gusten las lentejas tendrás que comértelas.Even if you don’t like lentils you’ll have to eat them.Irás al dentista, aunque no quieras.You’ll go to the dentist, even if you don’t want to. 18.2.3 (p. 88); 51.3.8 (p. 305)52.1.5A pesar de + noun/pronoun/infinitive, a pesar de que + indicative/subjunctive, pesea (que)A pesar de, ‘despite’, ‘in spite of’, can be placed at the beginning of the sentence orbetween the two contrasting ideas. Unlike aunque, a pesar de can be followed by anoun, a pronoun or an infinitive.308A pesar del frío saldremos.Despite the cold we’ll go out.La quiero a pesar de eso.I love her in spite of that.A pesar de no tener mucho dinero cooperó con nuestra causa.Despite not having much money he/she cooperated with our cause.Note that the infinitive can be used when the subjects of the verbs in the contrastingsentences are identical.A pesar de que, ‘despite the fact that’, ‘in spite of the fact that’, functions like aunque,but places more emphasis on the contrast between the two ideas. Like aunque, it will befollowed by an indicative verb when the information it introduces is a fact, and by asubjunctive when this relates to the future or is hypothetical (see 52.1.4).(a) With an indicative verb:A pesar de que tiene tiempo, no nos visita.Despite the fact that he/she has time, he/she doesn’t visit us.No han llamado, a pesar de que ahora tienen teléfono.They haven’t called, in spite of the fact that they now have atelephone.(b) With a subjunctive verb:No se lo aceptaré, a pesar de que me lo ofrezca.I won’t accept it, despite the fact that he/she may offer it to me.