Despite the Setbacks (H4)
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EN: The preposition 'despite' is used to show contrast. It is followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund (-ing form), but never by a subject-verb clause. It has the same meaning as 'in spite of'.
Despite the heavy rain, they went for a walk.
EN: The verb 'keep' followed by a gerund (verb-ing) is a common pattern used to express that an action continues or is repeated. In the past tense, 'kept' is used.
She kept working on the project until midnight.
EN: In professional and scientific contexts, failure is often framed as a necessary step toward innovation. The phrase 'Despite many failures, the team kept testing' reflects the highly valued cultural trait of resilience and persistence in modern tech and research industries.
EN: The conjunction 'although' is used to introduce a subordinate clause that expresses a concession or contrast. In English, when a sentence starts with 'although', we do not use 'but' in the main clause. A comma is used to separate the two clauses.
Although the weather was bad, we enjoyed the hike.
EN: The past simple tense of the regular verb 'succeed' is formed by adding '-ed' ('succeeded'). It is used here to describe a completed action in the past.
She succeeded in passing the difficult exam.
EN: The prepositional phrase 'in spite of' is used to show contrast. It means 'despite' or 'regardless of' and must be followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund (-ing form), not a full clause.
In spite of the cold weather, they went for a swim.
EN: The simple past tense is used to describe an action that was completed at a specific time in the past. Here, 'finished' indicates that the survey was completed.
We finished the project yesterday.
EN: The conjunction 'even though' is used to introduce a concession clause, expressing a strong contrast between two facts. Unlike Chinese, which often pairs 'although' with 'but', English does not use 'but' in the main clause when 'even though' is used.
Even though it was raining, they went for a walk.
EN: The verb 'learn' can be followed by an infinitive ('to' + verb) to express acquiring the ability or knowledge to perform a certain action.
She learned to swim when she was five.
EN: In the modern tech and professional landscape, 'learning to code' has become a symbol of self-improvement, adaptability, and career transition. It emphasizes perseverance and the growth mindset, which are highly valued in contemporary work culture.
EN: The conjunction 'while' is used at the beginning of a subordinate clause to introduce a contrast or concession, meaning 'although' or 'even though'. In English, we do not use 'but' in the main clause when 'while' is used.
While the hotel was expensive, it was not very comfortable.
EN: The verb 'look' is a linking verb (copular verb) here, which means 'to appear' or 'to seem'. It must be followed by an adjective (simple) rather than an adverb to describe the subject.
The plan sounded perfect, but it failed.
EN: In professional and academic English, starting a sentence with 'While' or 'Although' is preferred over using 'but' in the middle, as it sounds more formal and helps structure complex arguments smoothly.
EN: The conjunction 'whereas' is used to introduce a subordinate clause that contrasts with the main clause. It is often used in formal contexts to compare two different facts or situations.
Whereas some people prefer city life, others enjoy the quiet countryside.
EN: The phrasal verb 'push on' means to continue on a journey or with an activity, especially despite difficulties or obstacles.
Although we were exhausted, we decided to push on to the summit.
EN: "Despite" is a preposition used to express contrast. It is followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund (-ing form), not a full clause (subject + verb). It has the same meaning as "in spite of".
Despite the heavy rain, they enjoyed the football match.
EN: The definite article "the" is used before "bug" to refer to a specific software error that both the speaker and listener are aware of in this context.
The developer finally found the bug after hours of searching.
EN: In the tech industry and software engineering culture, "fixing bugs" (resolving software errors) is a core daily activity. Working late hours to resolve critical bugs before a product launch or deployment is a common scenario known to developers worldwide.
EN: Conjunction reduction in adverbial clauses: When the subject of the adverbial clause (introduced by 'although', 'while', 'though', etc.) is the same as the subject of the main clause, the subject and the 'be' verb in the adverbial clause can be omitted. Here, 'Although tired' is a shortened form of 'Although we were tired'.
Although busy, she still found time to exercise.
EN: The use of 'one more' to mean 'an additional' or 'another'. It is placed before a singular countable noun to indicate adding one more item or action to what has already been done.
Let's try one more time.
EN: In professional and scientific contexts, 'running a test' is a standard collocation. The sentence reflects a common workplace culture of perseverance and dedication, where teams push through physical fatigue to ensure the accuracy of their results.
EN: "In spite of" is a prepositional phrase used to express contrast. It means "despite" or "notwithstanding" and must be followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund (-ing form), rather than a full clause with a subject and verb.
In spite of the heavy rain, they played the football match.
EN: The definite article "the" is used before nouns ("risk", "doctors") to refer to specific things or people that are already known to the listener or are defined by the context.
The doctors who performed the surgery were highly skilled.
EN: The conjunction 'even though' is used to introduce a concession clause, expressing a fact that makes the main clause surprising or unexpected. Unlike Chinese, which often pairs 'although/even though' with 'but', English does not use 'but' in the main clause when 'even though' is present.
Even though it was raining, they went for a walk.
EN: The simple past tense ('lost', 'gained') is used to describe completed actions or states in the past. In this sentence, both the action of losing and the action of gaining experience occurred and were completed in the past.
We played well, but we lost the game.
EN: In Western culture, particularly in sports and professional environments, there is a strong emphasis on 'growth mindset'. Failing or losing is not seen as a pure negative, but rather as a valuable learning opportunity. This sentence perfectly reflects this cultural attitude of finding value in setbacks.
EN: The subordinating conjunction 'while' is used at the beginning of a concessive clause to mean 'although' or 'even though'. It introduces a contrast between two facts, showing that despite the first point, the second point remains true.
While the project was difficult, we finished it on time.
EN: The use of 'it' as a personal pronoun referring back to a previously mentioned singular noun ('progress'). This avoids repetition and maintains cohesion in the sentence.
EN: The phrase 'slow but steady' is a common idiom in English, famously derived from Aesop's fable 'The Tortoise and the Hare' (where 'slow and steady wins the race'). It reflects a cultural value placed on persistence and consistency over raw speed.
EN: The preposition 'despite' is used to show contrast. It means 'without being affected by' and must be followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund (-ing form), not a full clause with a subject and verb.
Despite the heavy rain, they enjoyed the football match.
EN: The adverb 'finally' is used to introduce something that happens after a long time or after a lot of difficulties. It typically placed before the main verb.
After months of searching, she finally found a job.
EN: In professional and entrepreneurial contexts, 'worked' is a common, informal way to say 'succeeded' or 'proved to be effective'. It highlights practicality and results over abstract success.
EN: The preposition 'despite' is used to show contrast, meaning 'without being affected by' or 'in spite of'. It must be followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund (-ing form), not a full clause.
Despite the heavy rain, they decided to go for a walk.
EN: The adverb 'often' is an adverb of frequency. In sentences with action verbs (like 'come'), it is typically placed directly before the main verb to indicate how frequently the action occurs.
She often reads books before going to sleep.
EN: This sentence reflects a common Western scientific and philosophical mindset: that progress and success are non-linear and inherently require overcoming adversity. In English-speaking professional and academic cultures, failure is often reframed as a necessary stepping stone to innovation.
EN: The subordinating conjunction 'although' is used to introduce a concession clause (a clause that expresses a contrast or unexpected obstacle). In English, 'although' and 'but' cannot be used in the same sentence to connect the clauses; only one conjunction is needed.
Although the weather was bad, they went for a hike.
EN: The past simple negative is formed using the auxiliary verb 'did' followed by 'not' (or the contraction 'didn't') and the base form of the main verb (in this case, 'stop').
She did not answer the phone yesterday.
EN: 'In spite of' is a prepositional phrase used to express contrast or concession, meaning 'despite'. It must be followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund (-ing form), not a full clause.
In spite of the heavy rain, they went for a walk.
EN: The verb 'keep' followed by a gerund (verb-ing) is a common structure meaning to continue doing something without stopping, or to do it repeatedly.
She kept practicing the piano until she got it right.
EN: The conjunction 'even though' is used to introduce a concession clause, expressing a fact that makes the main statement surprising or unexpected. It is stronger than 'although' or 'though'. Note that in English, we do not use 'but' in the main clause when 'even though' is used.
Even though the weather was terrible, they enjoyed the hike.
EN: The verb 'teach' can function as a ditransitive verb, which takes two objects: an indirect object (usually a person, here 'them') and a direct object (the thing being taught, here 'something').
The experience taught us a valuable lesson.
EN: The conjunction 'while' is used to introduce a subordinate clause that contrasts with the main clause. It means 'although' or 'whereas' and is used to show a conflict or difference between two situations.
While she loves traveling, she hates flying.
EN: The past simple tense ('doubted', 'trusted') is used to describe completed actions that took place in the past. In this sentence, both the doubting and the trusting are finished past events.
The manager approved the budget, so the project started.
EN: In modern professional environments, especially in tech and business, 'data-driven decision making' is highly valued. This sentence highlights a common cultural clash between traditional 'critics' (who might rely on intuition or status) and modern 'teams' who rely on empirical data.
EN: The conjunction 'whereas' is used to introduce a contrast between two facts or ideas. It is a subordinating conjunction that typically starts a adverbial clause of contrast, highlighting a direct opposition between the subject of the main clause and the subject of the dependent clause.
Whereas some people prefer to work in offices, others thrive at home.
EN: The adverbial phrase 'again and again' is used for emphasis to show that an action is repeated many times, often to highlight persistence, thoroughness, or frustration.
EN: In professional and scientific contexts, persistence in the face of failure is highly valued. The contrast between 'others' who quit and 'they' who persevered highlights a common narrative of innovation, where success is achieved through relentless iteration.
EN: "Despite" is a preposition used to express contrast (concession). It is followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund (-ing form), not a full clause with a subject and verb.
Despite the heavy rain, they decided to go for a walk.
EN: The adverb "never" is used before the main verb "faded" to express absolute negation in the past tense, emphasizing that the action of fading did not happen at any point.
EN: The phrase "long nights" is a common English metaphor representing periods of difficulty, hard work, or emotional distress. It evokes the image of staying up late to work or worry, making the eventual preservation of "hope" more poetic and powerful.
EN: The subordinating conjunction 'although' is used to introduce a concession clause (expressing contrast). In English, 'although' and 'but' cannot be used together in the same sentence to connect clauses, unlike in Chinese where '雖然...但是...' is a common pairing.
Although the weather was cold, they went for a swim.
EN: The phrasal verb 'point the way' means to show the right direction or indicate how something can be developed or resolved. It is often followed by 'to' or 'toward'.
These initial discoveries point the way to a cure.
EN: The prepositional phrase 'In spite of' is used to show contrast, meaning 'despite' or 'regardless of'. It must be followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund (-ing form), not a full clause.
In spite of the heavy rain, they went for a walk.
EN: The verb 'stay' can function as a linking verb (copula) meaning 'to remain in a particular state'. It is followed directly by adjectives (such as 'calm' and 'careful') to describe the subject.
Please stay quiet during the performance.
EN: "Even though" is a subordinating conjunction used to introduce a clause of concession. It emphasizes a contrast between two facts, meaning 'despite the fact that'. It is stronger and more emphatic than 'although' or 'though'. Note that in English, we do not use 'but' in the main clause when 'even though' is used.
Even though the weather was terrible, they enjoyed the hike.
EN: The pattern 'be worth + noun/pronoun' (or gerund) is used to say that something is useful, helpful, or important enough to justify the effort, time, or money spent on it. In 'worth it', 'it' refers back to the action or situation previously mentioned.
The training was difficult, but the results were worth it.
EN: The sentiment expressed in this sentence reflects a strong cultural value in English-speaking societies (often referred to as the 'growth mindset' or 'grit'). Perseverance through long-term difficulties is highly celebrated, especially in professional, academic, and personal growth contexts.
EN: The subordinating conjunction 'while' is used at the beginning of a dependent clause to introduce a contrast, meaning 'although' or 'even though'. In English, unlike in Chinese, we do not use 'but' in the main clause when 'while' or 'although' is used.
While the movie was long, it was very interesting.
EN: The verb 'build' is used metaphorically with abstract nouns like 'character' or 'reputation' to mean 'to develop, strengthen, or establish over time'.
Overcoming challenges helps build confidence.
EN: The concept of 'building character' through hardship is a deeply ingrained value in English-speaking cultures, particularly in personal development and sports. It reflects the belief that difficulties and failures are not just obstacles, but essential experiences that shape a person's integrity, resilience, and moral strength.
EN: The preposition 'despite' is used to show contrast. It is followed by a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun, but never by a full clause (subject + verb). It means 'in spite of' or 'without being affected by'.
Despite the heavy rain, they decided to go for a walk.
EN: The verb 'carry forward' is a phrasal verb. In this context, it means to give someone the strength or motivation to continue progressing or moving in a positive direction.
Their passion for music carried them forward through difficult times.
EN: This sentence reflects a common Western cultural value: the celebration of curiosity and individual drive as key forces to overcome adversity. In professional and academic contexts, 'curiosity' is highly praised as a catalyst for innovation and resilience.
EN: The verb 'stay' can function as a linking verb (copula) meaning 'to remain in a particular state'. It is followed directly by an adjective (or past participle acting as an adjective) like 'motivated', rather than an adverb.
How do you stay calm under pressure?
EN: In English, when directly addressing someone by name (vocative case), the name is separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma. It can be placed at the beginning or the end of the sentence.
Where are we going, David?
EN: In English-speaking workplaces and academic settings, asking colleagues or peers about their motivation ('How did you stay motivated?') is a common way to show admiration for their resilience and to build rapport by sharing personal strategies.
EN: The preposition 'despite' is used to show contrast. It is followed by a noun, noun phrase, or gerund (-ing form), but never by a full clause (subject + verb).
Despite the heavy rain, they went for a walk.
EN: The idiom 'keep (something) in mind' means to remember, consider, or remain aware of something important.
Please keep our safety rules in mind while working.
EN: In English-speaking professional and academic cultures, resilience and maintaining focus on long-term goals despite setbacks are highly valued traits. The phrase 'keep one's goal in mind' is commonly used in motivational contexts to encourage perseverance.
EN: The conjunction 'although' is used to introduce a subordinate clause of concession, showing a contrast with the main clause. In English, 'although' and 'but' cannot be used in the same sentence to connect the clauses, unlike in Chinese where '雖然' (although) and '但是' (but) are often used together.
Although the weather was bad, we enjoyed our hike.
EN: The adverb 'never' is a negative frequency adverb used before the main verb (or after the auxiliary verb) to emphasize that an action did not happen at any time.
She never lost hope during the difficult times.
EN: "In spite of" is a prepositional phrase used to express contrast (concession). It means "despite" or "although there is/was." It must be followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund (-ing form), not a full clause.
In spite of the heavy rain, they went for a walk.
EN: The verb "trust" can be used transitively (trust someone/something) to mean having confidence in the honesty, goodness, or reliability of that person or thing.
You should trust your instincts.
EN: "Even though" is a subordinating conjunction used to introduce a concession clause. It emphasizes a strong contrast between two facts, meaning 'despite the fact that'. Unlike in Chinese, we do not use 'but' (but) in the main clause when 'even though' is used.
Even though it was raining, they played soccer.
EN: The phrase "once more" is an adverbial idiom meaning 'one more time' or 'again'. It is often used at the end of a sentence to emphasize another attempt after previous ones.
She read the letter once more to make sure she understood.
EN: The conjunction 'while' is used at the beginning of a subordinate clause to show contrast, meaning 'although' or 'even though'. It introduces a concession before the main clause.
While the movie was long, it was very interesting.
EN: The verb 'see' is a sensory verb. When followed by an object and a present participle (verb-ing), it describes witnessing an action or process that is currently in progress or ongoing.
I saw the children playing in the park.
EN: The conjunction 'whereas' is used to introduce a subordinate clause that contrasts with the main clause. It is often used in formal contexts to highlight a direct opposition or difference between two facts or situations.
Whereas some people prefer to work in offices, others thrive at home.
EN: The phrasal verb 'push on' means to continue on a journey or with an activity, especially despite difficulties or obstacles.
Although we were exhausted, we decided to push on to the summit.
EN: The contrast between 'giving up' and 'pushing on' reflects a strong cultural value in English-speaking professional and academic environments: resilience and growth mindset. Admitting past failure ('once gave up') is not seen as weakness, but rather as a necessary stepping stone to current strength and perseverance.
EN: The preposition 'despite' is used to show contrast. It is followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund (-ing form), but never by a subject-verb clause.
Despite the rain, they enjoyed the outdoor concert.
EN: The phrase 'so much' is used as an adverbial modifier to emphasize the large degree or intensity of the action 'learned'.
EN: In professional and educational settings in English-speaking cultures, there is a strong emphasis on growth mindset. Phrases like 'learned so much' from 'setbacks' reflect a cultural value that views failure not as a dead end, but as a valuable learning opportunity.
EN: Concessive Clause Reduction: When the subject of the subordinate clause (introduced by 'although') is the same as the main clause's subject, or when the subordinate clause contains a form of 'be', the subject and 'be' can be omitted. Here, 'Although small' is a reduced form of 'Although they were small' or 'Although it was small'.
Although tired, she finished her homework before going to bed.
EN: The verb 'matter' is an intransitive verb meaning 'to be important or have significant value'. It is commonly followed by the prepositional phrase 'to [someone]' to indicate who is affected by or cares about the situation.
Your opinion matters to us.
EN: The imperative mood is used to give commands, advice, or encouragement. It is formed by using the base form of the verb (in this case, 'Keep') without a subject, as the subject 'you' is implied.
Keep trying, and you will succeed.
EN: 'Even though' is a subordinating conjunction used to introduce a concession clause. It means 'despite the fact that' and is used to contrast a surprising or obstacle-like fact with the main action.
Even though it was raining, they played soccer.
EN: The phrase 'the road is long' is a common metaphor in English-speaking cultures representing life's journey, long-term goals, or personal struggles. It emphasizes perseverance and resilience over quick results.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
To stop trying to do something; to surrender or quit.
To continue on a journey or with an activity, especially despite difficulties.
To remember or consider something important.
Deserving the effort, time, or money spent on something.