8.3 But, yet, however, despite, in spite of

But is a connector that expresses contrast, e.g.:

Jean had a headache but she managed to finish the assignment. (La Jean tenia mal de cap però va poder acabar la tasca.)

Yet is also a connector that expresses contrast; it is slightly more emphatic than but, e.g.:

Jean had a headache, yet she managed to finish the assignment. (La Jean tenia mal de cap però va poder acabar la tasca.)

However connects one sentence with another; it also expresses contrast, and is more emphatic than but or yet e.g.:

Jean had a headache. However, she managed to finish the assignment. (La Jean tenia mal de cap. Tanmateix, va poder acabar la tasca.)

Notice that however is followed by a comma; it can also come in the middle of a sentence and then has a comma before and after it, e.g.: Jean had a headache. She managed, however, to finish the assignment.

In spite of and despite are prepositions that express contrast. They must be followed by a noun phrase, e.g.:

In spite of/Despite her headache, Jean managed to finish the assignment. (Malgrat el mal de cap, la Jean va poder acabar la tasca.)

If we want to use in spite of or despite with a statement, we must include the fact that, e.g.:

In spite of/Despite the fact that all the entrances were carefully guarded, the protesters managed to disrupt the meeting. (Malgrat el fet que totes les entrades estaven ben guardades, els que  protestaven van poder interrompre la reunió.)

Here are examples of typical mistakes: Although the heavy rain, ... In spite of it was raining, ...

	See also although, though, even though, even if.