# Help with a sentence **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 24, 2014, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-sentence/684419 "2014-03-24T04:45:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Reza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reza)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-sentence/684419/1 "2014-03-24T04:45:57Z")
in the following sentence: Even though my friend seemed to enjoy the movie, I thought that it would never come to an end. I think “even though” has been used incorrectly, otherwise it has the meaning as " So that". Because the speaker from the second part of the sentence says he would never thought the movie would come to an end because " his friend enjoyed the movie so much" or better to say " in a way" = “so that”, or “to a degree or extent”, but what I’ve heard and learned from “even though” so far, has never meant such conception. Please comment. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-sentence/684419/2 "2014-03-24T05:00:55Z")
> [@Reza](#): > > in the following sentence: > > Even though my friend seemed to enjoy the movie, I thought that it would never come to an end. The sentence is correct and contrasts two opposites: My friend seemed to enjoy the movie. Even if that’s true, I didn’t. The movie was so bad I thought it would never end. The only thing I would do to the original sentence is remove the redundancies: Though my friend seemed to enjoy the movie, I thought it would never end. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-sentence/684419/3 "2014-03-24T05:11:10Z")
That is a correct sentence. It may or may not be saying what you want it to say, but it is correctly constructed. “Even though” means the same thing as “despite the fact that.” It is used to show contradiction between two parts of the sentence. Let’s try a simpler sentence: _Even though I like ice cream, I couldn’t eat my desert._ The fact that you like ice cream would normally mean that you would want to eat it. Not eating ice cream is the opposite of what you would expect from someone who likes ice cream. Getting back to your original sentence: _Even though my friend seemed to enjoy the movie, I thought that it would never come to an end._ This is expressing the idea that you would normally expect to like a movie that your friend enjoys, but in this instance you were bored with it. _So that_ implies causation. If you say “A so that B” that means that A enables B. For example: _I gave my life so that others might live._ This implies that giving your life allowed others to live. _Because_ implies motivation or causation. “A because B” means that B causes A. For example: _I eat because I am hungry._ Being hungry is the reason you eat. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-sentence/684419/4 "2014-03-24T05:16:17Z")
How about substituting one (similar) word for “even though”? **Although** my friend seemed to enjoy the movie,… That sounds better to my ears, but I’m not sure why. Maybe “although” implies contrast , so it prepares the reader for the idea that the rest of the sentence will compare two opposite emotions. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-sentence/684419/5 "2014-03-24T05:48:57Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > That sounds better to my ears, but I’m not sure why. > Maybe “although” implies contrast , so it prepares the reader for the idea that the rest of the sentence will compare two opposite emotions. _Although_ sounds better because we tend to use _even though_ to imply _unexpected_ contrast, rather than just contrast, as **Alley Dweller** mentions above. With _even though_, the sentence in the OP implies that the speaker and his or her friend should have the same tastes, and this is not really evident because there is no context to the sentence. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-sentence/684419/6 "2014-03-24T10:33:20Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > _Although_ sounds better because we tend to use _even though_ to imply _unexpected_ contrast, rather than just contrast, as **Alley Dweller** mentions above. > > With _even though_, the sentence in the OP implies that the speaker and his or her friend should have the same tastes, and this is not really evident because there is no context to the sentence. Agreed. Although would be much better. You could also get rid of even though and put a but between the clauses. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-sentence/684419/7 "2014-03-24T10:57:51Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > _Even though I like ice cream, I couldn’t eat my desert._ Was it Pecan Sandies? mmm ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-sentence/684419/8 "2014-03-24T11:52:49Z")
My friend seemed to enjoy the movie; I didn’t think it would ever end! ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-sentence/684419/9 "2014-03-24T12:02:33Z")
My friend is an idiot, that movie is crap. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-sentence/684419/10 "2014-03-24T13:58:24Z")
> [@Reza](#): > > in the following sentence: > > Even though my friend seemed to enjoy the movie, I thought that it would never come to an end. I think it would be better to place the contrastive element before the second clause. My friend seemed to enjoy the movie, but I thought that it would never come to an end. Also, “it would never end” sounds better to my ears, even though what you have is grammatically correct. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-sentence/684419/11 "2014-03-24T16:47:32Z")
Spelling Nazi here: “Dessert” has two “s” because you always want more. From “Adam-12.” ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-sentence/684419/12 "2014-03-24T19:02:26Z")
Unless it’s “just deserts,” in which case it’s one. ---
**Author:** ![Reza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Reza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reza)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-sentence/684419/13 "2014-03-24T20:40:25Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > The sentence is correct and contrasts two opposites: My friend seemed to enjoy the movie. Even if that’s true, I didn’t. The movie was so bad I thought it would never end. > > The only thing I would do to the original sentence is remove the redundancies: Though my friend seemed to enjoy the movie, I thought it would never end. Thanks a lot. Now it’s crystal clear. how easy it is, the problem is that I thought the speaker meant what he thought is what he perceived from his friend’s enjoyment and is judging about the possibility of the length of the movie, but I was wrong and by saying " I thought the movie would never …" he meant what is his own idea about the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Reza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Reza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reza)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-sentence/684419/14 "2014-03-24T21:11:57Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > _Although_ sounds better because we tend to use _even though_ to imply _unexpected_ contrast, rather than just contrast, as **Alley Dweller** mentions above. > > With _even though_, the sentence in the OP implies that the speaker and his or her friend should have the same tastes, and this is not really evident because there is no context to the sentence. Bravo! You took the word out of my mouth, and the sentence misled me to this understanding that the speaker and his/her friend have the same tastes. That’s why I had problem with “even thought” , " enjoyed" and " would never come to an end". ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2014, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-sentence/684419/15 "2014-03-24T21:55:48Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Spelling Nazi here: > > “Dessert” has two “s” because you always want more. From “Adam-12.” Thank-you. If you ever get the chance, drop by [Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum](https://www.desertmuseum.org/) in Tucson AZ. Absolutely fascinating. I never realized how much life is in the desert. It will leave you wanting more desert! ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-sentence/684419/16 "2014-03-25T04:56:08Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > Unless it’s “just deserts,” in which case it’s one. How did I get through half a century not knowing that? Matters not; thanx for the info, now I have something to lord over someone else _wrings hands in delight_ > [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Was it Pecan Sandies? > This getting old biz sux. Didn’t get your super joke for 8+ hours :smack: > [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > Thank-you. > > If you ever get the chance, drop by [Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum](https://www.desertmuseum.org/) in Tucson AZ. Absolutely fascinating. I never realized how much life is in the desert. It will leave you wanting more desert! That sounds like an invite. BTW, how long have you been waiting for someone to fall into your desert/dessert trap? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-sentence/684419/17 "2014-03-25T06:34:14Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > Unless it’s “just deserts,” in which case it’s one. I’ve never understood, how does this phrase make any sense? If it were “just desserts”, that’s perfectly logical, because Karma’s always served at the end of the meal. But the one-s “deserts” implies the bad guy winds up with several giant oceans of sand – wha fu…? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2014, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-sentence/684419/18 "2014-03-25T13:15:40Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > I’ve never understood, how does this phrase make any sense? > > If it were “just desserts”, that’s perfectly logical, because Karma’s always served at the end of the meal. But the one-s “deserts” implies the bad guy winds up with several giant oceans of sand – wha fu…? Just deserts: things that are justly deserved. Not des-served. deserts (with cactus): things that are deserted. Not des-serted. desserts (with ice cream): Things that ARE des-served (etymologically: the last course, via French).