Here's why:
* Prepositional Phrase: It consists of a preposition ("in spite of") followed by an object (usually a noun or pronoun).
* Conjunction: It connects two clauses or phrases that express contrasting ideas.
Example:
* "In spite of the rain, we went to the park."
Here, "in spite of the rain" connects the contrasting ideas of "rain" and "going to the park."
Other Examples:
* "In spite of his best efforts, he couldn't solve the problem."
* "In spite of her illness, she went to work."
It's important to note that "in spite of" is not technically a coordinating conjunction (like "and," "but," "or," etc.) or a subordinating conjunction (like "because," "although," "while," etc.). However, it functions similarly to a conjunction by showing a contrast or opposition between the clauses it connects.