Y06W27GR Concession and balance
Concession and Balance
When a writer wants to sound fair and reasonable, they often need to acknowledge the other side of an argument before making their own point. This is called a concession. Concession structures help a writer show balanced thinking — recognising that something is partly true, even while disagreeing with it overall.
- What a concession is and how it creates a balanced, fair tone
- Which connectives and structures are used to introduce a concession
- How to combine a concession with a main point to build a well-reasoned sentence
- Concession — an acknowledgement that the other side of an argument has some truth or validity; it shows the writer has considered more than one point of view
- Balance — the quality of a piece of writing that considers both sides fairly; concession structures are one of the key tools for achieving this
- Concession connective — a word or phrase used to introduce the concession, such as although, even though, while, granted that, or it is true that
- Cohesion — the way ideas in a paragraph connect smoothly; a concession followed by a main point creates a clear two-part structure that guides the reader
- Register — concession structures raise the register of writing, making it sound more thoughtful and considered rather than one-sided
How it works
1Simple concession with 'although' and 'even though'
The most common way to write a concession is to use although or even though at the start of a sentence. These subordinators introduce the concession in the first clause, and the main point follows in the second clause.
- 'Although' introduces a fact that seems to contradict the main point; for example, Although some teasing is meant to be friendly, it can still cause hurt
- 'Even though' adds a stronger sense of contrast; for example, Even though he was smiling, the comment still felt unkind
- Clause order can be reversed — the main point can come first; for example, Teasing can cause real harm, although it is not always intended that way
2Concession with 'while' and 'granted'
While and granted (or granted that) are useful alternatives that give writing more variety. They signal a concession without repeating although across a paragraph.
- 'While' is used to acknowledge a point before offering a contrasting view; for example, While it is true that friends tease each other, there is a difference between playful banter and unkind remarks
- 'Granted' acknowledges a point directly and then moves to the main argument; for example, Granted, jokes can bring people together — however, they stop being funny when one person is not laughing
- Variety in concession connectives prevents writing from feeling repetitive; swapping although for while across a paragraph keeps the writing fresh
3The two-part structure: concession + main point
A concession on its own is not enough — it must always be paired with a main point that follows it. The two parts work together to create a balanced sentence with clear reasoning.
- Structure — the concession comes first (acknowledging the other side), and the main point comes second (stating what the writer actually thinks); for example, Although teasing can be harmless, it becomes a problem when one person feels hurt
- Contrast connectives such as but, however, yet, and still can signal the shift from concession to main point when the two parts are in separate sentences; for example, Granted, the comment was meant as a joke. However, jokes that make someone feel embarrassed are not really jokes at all
- Avoiding imbalance — dropping the main point after a concession leaves the writing unclear; the reader needs to know what the writer's actual position is after the acknowledgement
See it in action
Adding a concession to a one-sided statement
Teasing between friends is always harmless.
Although teasing between friends can feel harmless, it is important to check that everyone involved is comfortable.
Adding the concession makes the statement more fair and acknowledges that the situation is not always simple.
Choosing 'while' instead of 'although' for variety
Although jokes can bring people together, they stop being funny when one person is not laughing.
While jokes can bring people together, they stop being funny when one person is not laughing.
While signals the same concession as although but varies the vocabulary across a paragraph.
Building the two-part structure: concession + main point
Granted, the comment was just a joke.
Granted, the comment was just a joke. However, jokes that make someone feel embarrassed in front of others are not kind.
Adding the main point after the concession completes the reasoning and makes the writer's position clear.
- A concession acknowledges that the other side of an argument has some truth, making writing sound fair and balanced
- Common concession connectives include although, even though, while, and granted
- A concession must always be paired with a main point that follows it; without this, the reasoning is incomplete
- Contrast connectives such as however, but, and yet help signal the shift from concession to main point
- Using a variety of concession connectives improves the cohesion and flow of a paragraph
- concession(n.) an acknowledgement in writing that the opposing view has some validity, used before stating the writer's own position, as in Although this is partly true, the main point is that
- concession connective(n.) a word or phrase such as although, while, or granted that introduces a concession clause at the start of a sentence or argument
- cohesion(n.) the quality of smooth, logical connection across sentences, which concession structures support by linking two contrasting ideas in a clear order
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