in spite of I am tired

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hhtt21

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Would you please explain why "in spite of I'm tired" is incorrect?

Let's first think of this example.

I have to go to the school in spite of I am tired because there are exams.

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emsr2d2

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Would you please explain why "in spite of I'm tired" is incorrect?

Let's first think of this example.

I have to go to the school in spite of I am tired because there are exams.

Thank you.

It's wrong because we say "in spite of the fact that ...".

Don't use the definite article before "school".

I have to go to school in spite of the fact that I am tired ...
I have to go to school despite being tired ...

It's possible to follow "in spite of" with a noun so you could say "I have to go to school in spite of my tiredness ..." but most native speakers wouldn't use that construction.
 

hhtt21

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It's wrong because we say "in spite of the fact that ...".

Don't use the definite article before "school".

I have to go to school in spite of the fact that I am tired ...
I have to go to school despite being tired ...

It's possible to follow "in spite of" with a noun so you could say "I have to go to school in spite of my tiredness ..." but most native speakers wouldn't use that construction.

But would you please explain the reason with some grammatic why cannot we say "in spite of I'am" ?

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hhtt21

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Like most prepositions, despite and the preposition-equivalent phrase in spite of are generally followed by a noun, pronoun or gerund, not a clause.

Are "preposition-equivalent phrase" and "prepositional phrase" the same grammatic terms?

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hhtt21

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Is this correct: I have to school in spite of that I'm tired?

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emsr2d2

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No. As I said in post #2, "in spite of" (in that context) is followed by "the fact that".

I have to go to school in spite of the fact that I'm tired.
I have to go to school despite the fact that I'm tired.
I have to go to school despite being tired.
I have to go to school despite my being tired.
I have to go to school despite my tiredness.
 

hhtt21

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No. As I said in post #2, "in spite of" (in that context) is followed by "the fact that". I have to go to school despite my being tired.
What about this one: I have to go to school in spite of my being tired.

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GoesStation

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Phaedrus

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I have to go to the school in spite of I am tired because there are exams.

I have to go to school, even though I am tired, because I have exams.
 

hhtt21

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I have to go to school, even though I am tired, because I have exams.
Are commas required ? I haven't used the commas.

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GoesStation

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The commas are required in Phaedrus's sentence. It's quite different from any of yours.
 

hhtt21

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The commas are required in Phaedrus's sentence. It's quite different from any of yours.

What is the difference between? And how can you state this difference when speaking?

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GoesStation

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What about this one: I have to go to school in spite of my being tired.

I have to go to school, even though I am tired, because I have exams.

What is the difference between? And how can you state this difference when speaking?

If I'm not mistaken, Phaedrus's sentence contains a non-defining clause. You could leave out the commas and omit the phrase between them and still have a valid sentence: I have to go to school because I have exams. This sentence no longer tells us the speaker is tired and doesn't say that you're attending despite perhaps wishing you didn't have to.
 

hhtt21

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If I'm not mistaken, Phaedrus's sentence contains a non-defining clause. You could leave out the commas and omit the phrase between them and still have a valid sentence: I have to go to school because I have exams. This sentence no longer tells us the speaker is tired and doesn't say that you're attending despite perhaps wishing you didn't have to.

But this one such as that and has not commas. So I am asking about the difference between this one and that one, it would be strange especially when speaking.

Would you please explain why "in spite of I'm tired" is incorrect?

Let's first think of this example.

I have to go to the school in spite of I am tired because there are exams.

Thank you.
 

Phaedrus

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Are commas required ? I haven't used the commas.

I consider the first comma optional in the revision I suggested even though "even though"-clauses usually are set off by commas. If "in spite of" or "despite" is used instead of "even though," the comma is even more optional. In the earlier responses in this thread, the ending part of the original sentence was ignored. Without that ending part, the absence of a comma makes sense: "I have to go to school in spite of (my) being tired." That expresses a single thought. With the ending part included, however, the logic of the sentence changes, and that affects comma choices. We want the "because"-clause to give the reason for the speaker's having to go to school, not for his being tired:

I have to go to school because I have exams.
? I am tired because I have exams.

To ensure that the "because"-clause will be read as relating to the speaker's having to go to school rather than to his being tired, we can make the "in spite of" phrase parenthetical by setting it off with a comma at each end. That the speaker is tired provides an extra, noteworthy detail, but it does not affect the basic thought, which is that the speaker has to go to school because he has exams.

I have to go to school, in spite of (my) being tired, because I have exams.
 
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GoesStation

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I have to go to the school in spite of I am tired because there are exams.

There is no point in analysing that sentence. It is incorrect. As I told you in post #4, I=in spite of is not followed by a clause.

I think your comma key moved again, Piscean.
 

Phaedrus

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Phaedrus's sentence. It's quite different from any of yours.

Quite different? "Even though I am tired" is identical in meaning to "in spite of (my) being tired."
 

GoesStation

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Quite different? "Even though I am tired" is identical in meaning to "in spite of (my) being tired."

Yes. The same idea can be conveyed by sentences which are structured differently.
 

hhtt21

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I consider the first comma optional in the revision I suggested even though "even though"-clauses usually are set off by commas.

Shouldn't it be "the first comma being optional" or "the first comma is optional" ?

Thank you.
 
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jutfrank

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Shouldn't it be "the first comma being optional" or "the first comma is optional" ?

No. What Phaedrus wrote was correct. He was using this structure:

consider + something + adjective
 
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