6-11. Уступительные придаточные клозы (Concessive clauses)

 
1. В такого типа предложениях употребляются союзы although, though и even though:

[Although he left his country many years ago], he still dreams of returning

Есть смысловое сходство с сложночинительным союзом but (необходимо помнить, что их не следует употреблять вместе и такое предложение неправильно: Although he left the country many years ago, but he still dreams of returning):

Thus I was in the same class as John for four years, but I never knew him very well.
[Though/Although I was in the same class as John for four years], I never knew him very well.

Союз even though – лишь «усиленная» версия союзов although и though. Его нельзя путать с союзом even if:

She’ll do it even though she doesn’t want to.
She’ll do it even if she doesn’t want to.
Even though he sat next to me, we never said a word to each other.

Первое предложение можно перефразировать как ‘I know she doesn’t want to do it, but she’ll do it anyway’, а второе – как ‘I don’t know whether or not she wants to do it, but I know that, however she feels about it, she’ll do it anyway’.

Though обычно не заменятся на although после even, и though, а не although употребляется как вводное слово:

We were in the same class for four years. I never knew him very well, though.

even if:

[Even if an icy wind blew from the north], we always slept with our windows wide open.
[Even if you lock your car], they will still tow it away.

while (часто можно заменяться на whereas):

I prefer the country to the town. The air in the country is pure, while/=whereas the atmosphere in the town is stale and polluted.

2. Следующее предложение с although

Although he is a good student and tries hard, he will never be top of his class

может быть перефразировано несколькими способами:

Good as he is, he will never be top of his class.
Try as he does/will/may/might he will never…
However hard-working he is, he will never …
However hard he tries, he will never …
However he tries, he will never …