Collins Cobuild English Grammar (152 page)

    
Whilst
is not used in American English.

8.67
     If you want to say that something which is probably true does not affect the truth of something else, you use
even if
.

All this is part of modern commercial life (
even if
it is an essential activity).
He’s beginning to be a different person,
even if
he doesn’t realize it.

Even if
is also used in
conditional clauses
. This use is explained in paragraph
8.39
.

8.68
     You can use
not that
instead of using
although
and a negative. For example, instead of saying
I have decided to leave, although no one will miss me
, you can say
I have decided to leave, not that anyone will miss me
.

Clauses beginning with
not that
always go after a main clause.

He’s got a new girlfriend,
not that
I care.
I think I looked very chic for the party,
not that
anyone noticed.

exceptions

8.69
     If you want to mention an exception to a statement that you have just made, you use
except that
.

She treats her daughter the same as her younger boy
except that
she takes her several times a week to a special clinic.
Nobody said a thing
except that
one or two asked me if I was better.

This kind of clause is sometimes called an
exception clause
.

USAGE NOTE

8.70
     When a clause beginning with
though
ends with a
linking verb
like
be
or
seem
and a noun or an adjective (= a
complement
), the complement can be brought forward to the beginning of the clause. For example, instead of saying
Though he was tired, he insisted on coming to the meeting
, you can say
Tired though he was, he insisted on coming to the meeting
.

Tempting though it may be to discuss this point
, it is not really relevant.
I had to accept the fact,
improbable though it was
.
Astute business man though he was
, Philip was capable of making mistakes.

When the complement is an adjective, you can use
as
instead of
though
.

Stupid as it sounds
, I believed her.

When a clause beginning with
though
ends with an adverb, you can often put the adverb at the beginning of the clause.

Some members of staff couldn’t handle Murray’s condition,
hard though they tried
.

When you are talking about a strong feeling or desire, you can use
much as
instead of
although
. For example, instead of saying
Although I like Venice, I couldn’t live there
you can say
Much as I like Venice, I couldn’t live there
.

Much as he admired her
, he had no wish to marry her.

-ing
participle clauses

8.71
     
Although
,
though
,
while
, and
whilst
are sometimes used in
-ing
participle clauses. For example, instead of saying
While he liked cats, he never let them come into his house
, you can say
While liking cats, he never let them come into his house
.

While
accepting the importance of freedom of speech, I believe it must be exercised with responsibility.

Despite
and
in spite of
can also be used at the beginning of
-ing
participle clauses.
Despite working hard, I failed my exams
means
Although I worked hard, I failed my exams
.

Sensible, interested parents still play a big part in their children’s lives,
despite
working long hours.
We had two more years of profit
in spite of
paying higher wages than the previous owner.

8.72
     
Although
,
though
,
while
, and
whilst
are also used in front of noun, adjective, and adverb phrases. For example, instead of saying
Although she was fond of Gregory, she did not love him
, you can say
Although fond of Gregory, she did not love him
. Similarly, instead of saying
They agreed to his proposal, though they had many reservations
, you can say
They agreed to his proposal, though with many reservations
.

It was an unequal marriage,
although
a stable and long-lasting one.
Though
not very attractive physically, she possessed a sense of humour.
They had followed her suggestion,
though
without much enthusiasm.

Even if
,
if
, and
albeit
can also be used in this way.
Albeit
is a formal word.

Other species have cognitive abilities,
even if
not as developed as our own. …a pleasant,
if
unexciting, novel.
Like mercury, lead affects the brain,
albeit
in different ways.

Place clauses:
Stay where you are

8.73
     Sometimes, when you want to talk about the location or position of something, you need to use a clause. The kind of clause you use is called a
place clause
.

8.74
     Place clauses usually begin with
where
.

He said he was happy
where
he was.
He left it
where
it lay.
Stay
where
you are.

Where
is also used in
relative clauses
. This use is explained in paragraphs
8.104
to
8.106
.

8.75
     In formal or literary English,
where
-clauses are sometimes put in front of a main clause.

Where
Kate had stood last night, Maureen now stood.
Where
the pink cliffs rose out of the ground there were often narrow tracks winding upwards.

8.76
     When you want to say that something happens or will happen in every place where something else happens, you use
wherever
.

Soft ferns spread across the ground
wherever
there was enough light.
In Bali,
wherever
you go, you come across ceremonies.
Wherever
I looked, I found patterns.

Everywhere
can be used instead of
wherever
.

Everywhere
I went, people were angry or suspicious.

8.77
     
Where
and
wherever
are sometimes used in front of adjectives such as
possible
and
necessary
. When they are used like this, they mean
when
or
whenever
, rather than
where
. For a full explanation of this use, see paragraph
8.24
.

Clauses of manner:
I don’t know why he behaves
as he does

8.78
     When you want to talk about someone’s behaviour or the way something is done, you use a
clause of manner
.

Here is a list of conjunctions used in clauses of manner:

as

as though

like

as if

just as

much as

The way
,
in a way
, and
in the way
are also used in clauses of manner in a similar way to conjunctions. These expressions are often followed by
that
.

saying how something is done

8.79
     If you simply want to talk about someone’s behaviour or the way something is done, you use
like
,
as
,
the way
,
in a way
, or
in the way
.

Is she often rude and cross
like
she’s been this last month?
I don’t understand why he behaves
as
he does.
I was never allowed to do things
the way
I wanted to do them.
He was looking at her
in a way
she did not recognize.
We have to make it work
in the way
that we want it to.

making comparisons

8.80
     You can also use these expressions to compare the way something is done with the way someone or something else does it.

Surely you don’t intend to live by yourself
like
she does?
Joyce looked at her
the way
a lot of girls did.

If you want to make a strong comparison, you use
just as
.

You can think of him and feel proud,
just
as I do.

If you want to make a fairly weak comparison, you use
much as
.

These tanks speed across the desert,
much as
they did in World War II.