Despite and In spite of:

• They are prepositional expressions. They express a contrast between two things. They are both more common in writing than in speaking. Despite is a little more formal than in spite of.

• We usually use in spite of and despite with a noun:

     He got the job in spite of his prison record.

     John’s company is doing extremely well         despite the recession.

• We can also use in spite of and despite with -ing:

     He was very fast in spite of being terribly        overweight.

     They arrived late despite leaving in plenty      of time.

• We don’t use a that-clause after in spite of or despite. We use in spite of the fact that or despite the fact that:

    When they arrived at Malaga it was hot, in     spite of the fact that it was only the end of       April.