Sign up for freeSign up

Your system copies your org chart: whereas, however and on the other hand

Learners compare two backend options with contrast linkers like whereas and however in this B2 English for IT lesson plan on Conway's law.

Grammar
Whereas and while inside one sentence, however and on the other hand to start the next, although + a clause, despite + a noun, and the commas.
Topic
Conway's law and a mobile team weighing a backend of its own, with words such as ownership, bottleneck, interface and autonomy.
Activities
A thread with comments to read, a call that weighs speed against safety, self-checking drills, a chat and a wheel of comparisons, then a post and a recording comparing two options.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Warm-up: Who Talks to Whom?

    • PictureUnlock
    • Open a box and talk about your teamsOpen the boxUnlock
    • Study the words for teams and systemsVocabularyTry it
    • Choose the word for each pictureChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2The Story: Conway's Law

    • Read the story of Conway's lawArticleUnlock
    • Choose the correct answer about the storyQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3At Work: Should We Own a Backend?

    • Read Kenji's post and the comments in #architectureReal-life documentTry it
    • True or false? Check the threadTrue or falseUnlock
    • Choose the right linker to complete each commentChoose the optionUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Listen: Speed or Safety?

    • Listen to Beatriz and Wes compare the optionsListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Choose the correct answer about the callQuizUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Grammar: Whereas, However, Despite

    • Study the scheme: contrast linkersGrammar schemeTry it
    • Choose the linker that fits the grammarChoose the optionTry it
    • Join the two sentences: fill in the gap with the correct formFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Is the sentence correct? True or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Choose the correct option to complete the comparisonChoose the optionUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Speak Up: Compare and Choose

    • Choose the best replies in the threadChatTry it
    • Spin the wheel and compareSpin the wheelUnlock

  7. Chapter 7Homework: Make Your Case

    • Read your phrase bankReal-life documentUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps in Iryna's message: choose one of the two linkersFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Match the sentence halvesMatchUnlock
    • Write a post that compares two optionsWriting, checked by the teacherUnlock
    • Record a comparison of two ways to organize your teamsSpeaking, checked by the teacherUnlock

24 exercises in 7 chapters. Start a 7-day free trial to open all of them, copy any part into your own lessons, and teach the lesson live.

Vocabulary

12 words and phrases from the lesson, each with a picture and audio in edio.

+9 more with pictures and audio in the lessonMore words

  • a communication path
  • autonomy
  • an endpoint
  • a bottleneck
  • a reorg
  • mirror
  • coordinate
  • hold up
  • fall apart

Grammar: contrast linkers for comparing options

Contrast linkers set the two sides of a choice against each other, and each one wants different grammar after it: a clause, a noun or -ing, or a whole new sentence. Reading and writing an architecture thread, learners choose the linker by what follows it, then check the comma. The set runs from whereas, while and but through although and despite to however and on the other hand.

Contrast linkers: comparing two options

Choose the linker by what comes after it: a clause, a noun or -ing, or a new sentence. Then check the comma.

What comes after each linker?

Whereas, while, but, although and even though take a clause, with a subject and a verb. Despite and in spite of take a noun or -ing: Despite the extra work. However and on the other hand start a new sentence with a comma, or sit between commas after the subject.

LinkerWhat followsWhere it goesExample
whereas / whilea clause (subject + verb)joins two clauses in one sentence; comma between the clausesFive people worked on one compiler, while three worked on the other.
buta clausein the middle, often after a comma; in speech it can also start a sentenceI like the payments team, but their queue is long.
although / even thougha clause (even though is stronger)at the start or in the middle; comma after the first clauseAlthough I like the payments team, their queue has become our bottleneck.
despite / in spite ofa noun or -ingat the start or in the middle; despite has no “of”Despite the extra work, I'd try option A first.
howevera new sentenceat the start + comma, or after the subject between commasTheir backlog is full. However, they answer questions fast.
on the other handa new sentence: the second sideat the start + comma, or after the subject between commasWe'd ship faster. On the other hand, we'd carry the pager.

Whereas or although?

Whereas and while compare two different things: Option A is faster, whereas option B is safer. Although and despite show one fact working against another: Although the team is small, it ships every two weeks. Whereas can't do that second job.

whereas / while: compare two different things

  • Option A is faster, whereas option B is safer.
  • The mobile team knows the screens, while the payments team knows the money rules.

although / despite: one fact works against another

  • Although the team is small, it ships every two weeks.
  • Despite the long wait, Wes still likes the payments team.
  • Not with whereas: ✗ Whereas the team is small, it ships every two weeks.

On the other hand needs a first side

This linker brings in the second side, after the first is on the table: Option A is fast. On the other hand, it's harder to run. A message shouldn't open with it. To announce both sides from the start, begin with On the one hand.

“On the other hand” needs a first side

Use it for the second side of a comparison, after you've given the first one: “Option A is fast. On the other hand, it's harder to run.” Don't open a message with it: ✗ “On the other hand, I think we need a new backend.” You can introduce the first side with “On the one hand, …”.

Despite of, although the cost: common traps

Despite never takes of; in spite of always does. A bare noun can't follow although (Although the cost), and a clause can't follow despite (Despite it is risky). At the start of a sentence, However keeps its comma: However, the team liked option B.

  • Despite of the long wait, merchants liked the new screen.

    Despite the long wait, … / In spite of the long wait, …

    despite never takes “of”; in spite of always does

  • Although the cost, we chose option A.

    Although it costs more, we chose option A. / Despite the cost, we chose option A.

    although + a clause; despite + a noun

  • Despite it is risky, Kenji wants to try it.

    Although it is risky, Kenji wants to try it. / Despite the risk, Kenji wants to try it.

    despite + a noun or -ing, never a clause

  • However the team liked option B.

    However, the team liked option B.

    however at the start of a sentence needs a comma

From today's lesson

  • Five people worked on the COBOL compiler, while three worked on the ALGOL one.
  • The inverse maneuver, on the other hand, tries to plan it.
  • We could ship a screen in one sprint, whereas a new endpoint usually takes two or three.
  • Although I like the payments team, their queue has become our bottleneck.
  • Despite the extra work, I'd try option A for one screen first.
  • All payment logic stays with one team. However, their backlog is full.

More lessons on this grammar: Linking words lessons and exercises

Try the contrast linkers exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

More exercises

What's in the lesson

  • 12 auto-checked exercises
  • 2 games
  • 2 teacher-checked tasks
  • 2 real-life documents
  • 1 article
  • 1 grammar scheme
  • 1 set of word cards
  • 1 audio clip
  • 1 picture
  • 1 transcript

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • compare two options in one sentence with whereas or while: Option A is faster, whereas option B is safer.
  • start the second side with However, or On the other hand, and put the comma where it belongs
  • choose although + a clause or despite + a noun or -ing: Despite the extra work, I'd try option A first.
  • write a post that compares two options and ends with a choice: On balance, I'd go with option A.

Lesson 10 opens Architecture and trade-offs, unit 4 of English for IT B2 · Beyond the Code, on comparing technical options and recording decisions. It builds on the comparatives of English for IT B1 lesson 21 (much faster than) and pairs them up: Option A is faster, whereas option B is safer. The linkers return in lesson 12's unit review. A trade-off has two sides, and these words hold them together.

Boxes of questions about how teams are split come first, then twelve words with pictures and audio, from org chart to fall apart, and a picture quiz. The story is Melvin Conway's 1968 paper and the law named after it. At work, students read Kenji's #architecture post on a small backend for the mobile team, with the comments, then hear a product owner and an Android developer weigh both options in an AI-voiced call. Four self-checking drills follow the scheme, the first a choice of linker by the grammar after it. Students then answer a payments developer in the thread and spin a wheel of things to compare.

Homework brings a phrase bank for comparing options, then two self-checking tasks: a gap-fill of Iryna's message with a choice of two linkers in each gap, and sentence halves to match. Students then write a post comparing two options from their work and record a comparison of two ways to organize teams, both for the teacher to review.

Grammar:
contrast linkers · whereas / however / despite
Topic:
software architecture · Conway's law · team structure

Teaching tips

  • Before the thread, draw two org charts, one with teams split by skill and one by feature, and ask what each would do to the app. Then point to the payouts screen's three calls to three services.
  • Sort the linkers by what follows them: three columns on the board for a clause, a noun or -ing and a new sentence. Learners place each linker, then write one example per column about their own work.
  • In company classes, compare a decision the team really faces: each learner brings two options, and the group must use whereas, however and despite before anyone may say which option wins.
  • One-to-one, argue the other side after every chat reply: if the learner backs option A, push for option B, so each answer needs On the other hand, Although or Despite.

Liked it?

Teach the whole lesson in edio

24 exercises in 7 chapters, ready to teach. edio is an online platform for language schools and teachers: ready-made interactive lessons, live classes, homework and student progress in one place.

  1. Start a free trial

    7 days, no credit card.

  2. Open the lesson

    Find it in the library of 621 ready lessons. Teach it as it is, or copy any chapter into your own lessons.

  3. Teach it live or as homework

    Students work in their own accounts, in sync with you during the lesson, and the practice exercises check themselves.

Teach it free for 7 days

The whole course: English for IT B2 · Beyond the Code

24 lessons at B2 for software teams, in American English. A year on at Kestrel Cloud, a fictional payments startup, Iryna and her team estimate work, write docs and postmortems, argue trade-offs, give demos and negotiate scope. Each lesson starts from a real case, from the Apollo 11 alarms to Conway's law.See the course

  1. Unit 1 Planning and estimates

    estimates and deadlines: approximating numbers, the future continuous and perfect, likelihood

    1. Lesson 1It always takes longerApproximating numbers in estimates
    2. Lesson 2By New Year's Eve, we'll have fixed itFuture continuous and future perfect
    3. Lesson 3Let's play planning pokerLikelihood with bound to, likely to and may well

  2. Unit 2 Docs people read

    specs and design docs: modals for requirements, participle clauses, plain English

    1. Lesson 4MUST, SHOULD or MAY?Modal verbs for requirements in specs
    2. Lesson 5Four kinds of docsParticiple clauses in documentation
    3. Lesson 6Just a request for commentsPlain English for design docs

  3. Unit 3 Incidents and postmortems

    telling an incident without blame: narrative tenses, the passive, the third conditional

    1. Lesson 7The 1202 alarmNarrative tenses for incident stories
    2. Lesson 8Blameless by designActive vs passive voice in a postmortem
    3. Lesson 9If we had had an alert…The third conditional: a different past

  4. Unit 4 Architecture and trade-offs

    comparing options and recording decisions: contrast linkers, modals of deduction, mixed conditionals

    1. Lesson 10 · you're hereYour system copies your org chartContrast linkers for comparing options
    2. Lesson 11It's always DNSModals of deduction for troubleshooting
    3. Lesson 12Write down the whyMixed conditionals for looking back on decisions

  5. Unit 5 Demos and tech talks

    a clear structure on stage: signposting, cleft sentences, describing trends

    1. Lesson 13The mother of all demosSignposting language for demos
    2. Lesson 1420 slides, 15 secondsCleft sentences for emphasis
    3. Lesson 15Numbers that tell a storyDescribing graphs and trends

  6. Unit 6 Stakeholders and scope

    saying no and finding yes: diplomatic language, as long as and unless, negotiating

    1. Lesson 16Pay down the debtDiplomatic language for hard messages
    2. Lesson 17Why meetings argue about the bike shedAs long as, provided, unless and otherwise
    3. Lesson 18Yes, if…Negotiating language for scope and deadlines

  7. Unit 7 AI, security and ethics

    AI tools, passwords and team rules: be used to and get used to, past modals of deduction, purpose linkers

    1. Lesson 19Your new pair programmerUsed to, be used to and get used to
    2. Lesson 20Change your password? Maybe notPast modals of deduction
    3. Lesson 21Rules for AI at workPurpose linkers for rules with a reason

  8. Unit 8 Growing your career

    feedback, retros and goals: phrasal verbs, reporting verbs, wish and if only

    1. Lesson 22Your next levelCareer phrasal verbs and goal frames
    2. Lesson 23Feedback that helpsReporting verbs and their patterns
    3. Lesson 24Start, stop, continueWish and if only for wishes and regrets

Questions about this lesson

How do you use however in a sentence?
Use however to start a sentence that contrasts with the last one, with a comma after it: Their backlog is full. However, they answer questions fast. It can also sit after the subject, between commas: The payments API, however, changes slowly. It can't join two clauses like but: A new endpoint takes two sprints, however we could ship a screen in one needs but or a period.
What does whereas mean?
Whereas means “and in contrast”, setting two different facts side by side: Option A is quicker to ship, whereas option B is safer for the money rules. It compares, but it doesn't concede, so Whereas the team is small, it ships every two weeks is wrong; although fits there. It sounds a little more formal than while, which can do the same job.
How do you use whereas in a sentence?
Put whereas between two clauses that compare two things, after a comma: We could ship a screen in one sprint, whereas a new endpoint usually takes two or three. It can also come first, with a comma after its clause: Whereas the mobile team knows the screens, the payments team knows the money rules. The B2 lesson Your system copies your org chart on edio.ai practices it in a team thread.
How do you use on the other hand?
Use on the other hand to add the opposite side of an argument, at the start of a new sentence, with a comma: We'd ship faster. On the other hand, we'd carry the pager. It can also come after the subject, between commas: The inverse maneuver, on the other hand, tries to plan it. A chat reply in Your system copies your org chart on edio.ai uses it for a drawback.
What's the difference between whereas and while?
For contrast, whereas and while mean the same thing, and both join two clauses: Five people worked on the COBOL compiler, while three worked on the ALGOL one. While sounds less formal and also has a time meaning (while I was waiting), so it can be ambiguous. Whereas only compares, which makes it the clearer choice in a design document or a formal report.
Do you need a comma after however?
Yes: at the start of a sentence, however takes a comma, as in However, the team liked option B. In the middle, it sits between two commas: Their backlog, however, is already full. Before it, use a period or a semicolon, never a lone comma. Without its comma, However the team liked it reads as “in whatever way the team liked it”.
Can you use on the other hand without on the one hand?
Yes: on the one hand is optional; a first side isn't. Option A is fast. On the other hand, it's harder to run works, because the first sentence gives one side. A message that opens with On the other hand, I think we need a new backend has nothing to turn against. Use On the one hand when you want to signal from the start that two sides are coming.
What does Conway's law mean?
Conway's law is the idea that a system copies how its builders communicate. Melvin Conway argued it in a 1968 paper: two parts of a system fit only if the groups that build them talk and agree on an interface. At work, people quote it when a design mirrors the org chart: Our payouts screen makes three calls to three services, because three teams built them.
How do you compare two options in English at work?
Give each option's main advantage and main drawback, then choose: Option A is faster, whereas option B is safer. The main drawback is the on-call work. End with a decision or a plan: On balance, I'd go with option A, Neither option wins outright or Let's try it for one screen first. The phrase bank in Your system copies your org chart on edio.ai collects these frames.
How do I teach linking words of contrast to B2 adults?
Group them by the grammar that follows: a clause after whereas, while and although, a noun or -ing after despite, a new sentence after however and on the other hand. Then give a real choice to argue, such as two tools or two ways to split a team, so every sentence needs two sides. Finish with the traps: despite of, although the cost and However without its comma.
What's good homework for practicing whereas and however?
Good homework is a short post that compares two real options: one advantage and one drawback of each, at least four different contrast linkers and a choice at the end. In Your system copies your org chart, a B2 English for IT lesson on edio.ai, that post follows a self-checking gap-fill and sentence match, and a recorded comparison of two ways to organize teams goes to the teacher with it.
Are there interactive exercises for contrast linkers?
Yes: gap choices and chats that check each linker show at once whether the grammar after it fits. Without an account, this page plays four parts of Your system copies your org chart, a B2 English for IT lesson on edio.ai: Kenji's post with the comments in #architecture, a call comparing the two options, a choice of linker by the grammar after it, and a chat in the thread. The other drills are locked.
Unlock full lesson

Teach this lesson with your students

Book a demoStart free trial

No credit card required