Conjunction vs Preposition di TOEFL ITP: Although vs Despite, Because vs Because of, dan 3 Jebakan Lain
Conjunction vs preposition di TOEFL ITP: although vs despite, because vs because of, dan 3 jebakan lain di Structure dan Written Expression, plus kuis.
Although dan despite sama-sama berarti “meskipun”. Because dan because of sama-sama berarti “karena”. Lalu kenapa yang satu benar dan yang lain salah di soal TOEFL®?
Jawabannya ada di apa yang mengikutinya. Conjunction (kata penghubung) diikuti klausa lengkap, yaitu subjek + kata kerja. Preposition (kata depan) diikuti kata benda, frasa benda, atau gerund (V-ing). Artinya boleh mirip, tapi strukturnya berbeda total.
Materi ini sangat sering muncul di Section 2 TOEFL ITP, baik di Structure (15 soal melengkapi kalimat) maupun Written Expression (25 soal mencari kata yang salah). Berikut 5 jebakan yang paling sering dipakai.
Kunci Utama: Klausa vs Frasa
Sebelum masuk ke jebakan, pastikan kamu bisa membedakan dua hal ini:
- Klausa = ada subjek dan kata kerja yang berubah sesuai tenses: he studied hard, the weather was bad.
- Frasa benda = tidak punya kata kerja utama: the bad weather, his hard work, studying hard.
Jadi setiap kali melihat konektor di soal, tanyakan: “Setelah kata ini ada subjek + kata kerja, atau tidak?” Kalau perlu penyegaran soal jenis kata, baca Parts of Speech 101.
Jebakan 1: Although vs Despite / In Spite Of
| Conjunction (+ S + V) | Preposition (+ noun / V-ing) |
|---|---|
| although, even though, though | despite, in spite of |
❌ Despite he studied hard, he could not pass the test.
✅ Although he studied hard, he could not pass the test.
✅ Despite studying hard, he could not pass the test.
✅ Despite his hard work, he could not pass the test.
Perhatikan juga: despite tidak pernah diikuti of. Yang benar despite atau in spite of, bukan despite of. Ini favorit soal Written Expression.
Jebakan 2: Because vs Because Of / Due To
| Conjunction (+ S + V) | Preposition (+ noun phrase) |
|---|---|
| because, since, as | because of, due to, owing to |
❌ The flight was delayed because of the weather was bad.
✅ The flight was delayed because the weather was bad.
✅ The flight was delayed because of the bad weather.
Trik cepat: lihat apa yang ada setelah because. Ada kata kerja seperti was, is, had, atau rained? Pakai because saja. Tidak ada kata kerja sama sekali? Pakai because of.
Jebakan 3: While vs During
Keduanya bisa berarti “selama”, tapi:
- while + klausa (while he was reading), atau bentuk ringkasnya while + V-ing (while reading).
- during + kata benda periode atau kegiatan: during the lecture, during the summer, during the exam.
❌ He fell asleep during he was reading the textbook.
✅ He fell asleep while he was reading the textbook.
✅ He fell asleep during the lecture.
Di bahasa Inggris baku, during juga tidak lazim diikuti V-ing langsung (during reading terdengar janggal). Kalau mau memakai V-ing, pilih while reading.
Jebakan 4: Double Connector (Konektor Ganda)
Ini jebakan khas pembelajar Indonesia. Dalam bahasa Indonesia kita biasa bilang “Meskipun…, tetapi…” atau “Karena…, maka…”. Dalam bahasa Inggris, dua klausa cukup dihubungkan satu konektor.
❌ Although the task was tough, but they finished it.
✅ Although the task was tough, they finished it.
✅ The task was tough, but they finished it.
❌ Because it rained, so the match was cancelled.
✅ Because it rained, the match was cancelled.
✅ It rained, so the match was cancelled.
Rumus praktis: jumlah konektor = jumlah klausa dikurangi 1. Dua klausa, satu konektor. Tiga klausa, dua konektor.
Jebakan 5: Like vs As
- like adalah preposisi yang berarti “seperti / mirip”, diikuti kata benda atau pronoun: She sings like a professional. (dia bukan profesional, tapi mirip)
- as + kata benda berarti “sebagai”, untuk peran atau profesi yang sebenarnya: She works as a teacher.
- as juga bisa jadi konjungsi yang diikuti klausa: He completed the report as he was instructed.
❌ Dr. Sarah works like a researcher at the institute.
✅ Dr. Sarah works as a researcher at the institute.
Dr. Sarah memang peneliti, bukan sekadar mirip peneliti, jadi pakai as. Dalam percakapan sehari-hari, orang sering memakai like + klausa (like I said), tapi untuk TOEFL pegang versi baku: klausa setelah “seperti” pakai as.
Ringkasan
| Makna | + Klausa (S + V) | + Noun / V-ing |
|---|---|---|
| Meskipun | although, even though | despite, in spite of |
| Karena | because, since, as | because of, due to, owing to |
| Selama | while | during |
| Seperti / sebagai | as | like (mirip), as (peran) |
Kuis Cepat
Pilih jawaban yang tepat:
- ___ the heavy traffic, we arrived on time. (Although / Despite)
- She stayed home ___ she felt sick. (because / because of)
- The phone rang ___ the meeting. (while / during)
- Although he was tired, ___ he kept working. (but / tanpa konektor)
Jawaban:
- Despite (diikuti frasa benda the heavy traffic).
- because (diikuti klausa she felt sick).
- during (diikuti kata benda the meeting).
- Tanpa konektor: Although he was tired, he kept working.
Latihan Structure Sampai Lancar
Pola conjunction vs preposition paling cepat dikuasai lewat banyak latihan, karena soalnya sering menyamarkan klausa dengan frasa panjang.
Di Kawan EPT (dulu Kawan TOEFL) kamu bisa belajar materi Grammar 33 topik dengan alur Learn, Drill, dan Master, lalu menguji diri lewat lebih dari 7.400 soal yang setiap pilihan jawabannya dibahas. Weakness Drill akan mengulang topik yang paling sering kamu salah, dan simulasi lengkap 140 soal memberi estimasi skor 310 sampai 677. Gratis di Google Play Store.