Even if v Even though

Source: Long Truong on Unsplash

Even is a word you will hear often. As an adverb, it can mean something is surprising or unexpected (hasta, incluso, ni siquiera) and is used for emphasis.

• Everyone danced, even Graham. (Graham never dances)
• A: He works every day.    B: What? Even on a Sunday? (It's unusual to work seven days a week)
• She didn't even say thank you. (At least she could have said thanks)
• Don't even think about it! (¡Ni lo pienses!)
• It's easy. Even I can do it. (emphasizes that everyone can do it)
• No-one disagreed, not even the boss. (The boss normally disagrees with everyone else)

N.B. Even alone cannot be used as a conjunction (i.e. join two clauses together). It needs to be combined with if or though to connect two clause.

• He often behaves like a child even he is 25 now.  😡 
• He often behaves like a child even if he is 25 now.  😍 
• Even she survives, she'll never fully recover.  😡 
• Even if she survives, she'll never fully recover.  😍 

Even though is a linker of contrast which precedes a statement of fact. The other part of the sentence is surprising, unusual or unexpected. It is a more emphatic alternative to although. It can be used at the beginning or in the middle of the sentence.

• Even though I studied hard, I still failed the exam. (Despite studying hard, I still failed the exam)
• I don't know him very well even though we see each other every day. (I don't know him very well in spite of seeing each other every day)
• Even though he is very wealthy, he lives in a modest flat. (Although he is wealthy, he lives in a modest flat)
• He won the race even though he was much older than the others. (He won the race despite the fact that he was much older than others)

Even if means whether or not (tanto si ... como si no). It introduces something hypothetical - possibly not real. It emphasizes a conditional sentence.

• Even if he asks me nicely, I won't agree to working weekends. (I won't agree to working weekends whether he asks me nicely or  not)
• I wouldn't live there even if I had the money. (I don't have the money but supposing I had, I still wouldn't live there)
• We're going to the countryside this weekend even if it rains. (It might rain this weekend but that won't stop us from going to the countryside)
• Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you. (I'm never going to tell you)

Source: Malik Skydsgaard on Unsplash

Compare the following sentences:

• I go jogging when it is cold and raining. (simple fact, sounds like you only go jogging when it's cold and raining)
• I go jogging even when it is cold and raining. (emphasizes the fact that it's not just on warm and dry days that I go jogging)

• When I felt ill, I went to work, (sounds as if it is a normal thing to do)
• Even when I felt ill, I went to work. (it's unusual to go to work when you feel ill)

Even so introduces a fact that is surprising in the context of what has been said before.

• She has very different opinions and interests to me. Even so, we get on. (You wouldn't expect us to get on because we are so different but we do)
• The weather wasn't great but even so, we enjoyed our weekend away. (The weather wasn't great but we still enjoyed ourselves)

Choose the best option to complete the following sentences:

1. My dog eats everything - even / even so / even when ice cream!
2. I won't sell my car even though / even if / even you offer me a good price.
3. Smoking has been proven to shorten lives. Even when / Even so, / Even if many people still take it up.
4. Even though / Even if /  Even when she is very old, she can still read without glasses.
5. Kate is always cheerful. She keeps smiling even when / even so / even things get stressful at work.
6. I'll remember this day even when / even if  / even though I live to be 100.
7. I had a wonderful time even though / even if / even I didn't know anyone at the party.
8. I washed the shirt several times but even if / even so / even though I couldn't get rid of the stain.
9. Even when / even if / even though he was young, he never had any ambition.
10. She didn't even / even so / even though clean the dinner plates. She's so lazy.

Write some examples of your own.

Answer some of the following questions:

1. Do you think it's possible for someone to be happy even without a lot of money?
2. What’s a skill or talent you’d love to learn, but don’t even know where to start?
3. Even if you had all the money in the world, what would you still do every day?
4. What would you do for fun even if no one else wanted to join you?
5. Even though some people think working from home is easy, do you find it challenging?
6. What is an activity that you love even though you’re not very good at it?
7. What is a movie or book you love even though most people don't like it?
8. Do you stay positive even when things are difficult? How do you manage that?
9. Even when you're having a bad day, do you try to stay positive?
10. Some tasks are very hard to do, but even so, they need to be done. What is one example of that in your life?
11. Some people have doubts about their abilities, but even so, they succeed. Can you think of an example?
12. Sometimes plans don’t go the way we want. Can you think of a time when something went wrong, but even so, you still enjoyed it?