Short on time? This page is the recap. For explanations and worked examples, use the full study guide.
Recap
- To concede is to accept all or a portion of a competing position or claim as correct, to agree it is correct under a different set of circumstances, or to acknowledge the limitations of your own argument.
- Writers enhance their credibility when they concede, rebut or refute opposing arguments and contradictory evidence.
- A concession is a strategy, not a surrender: concede, pivot, then reassert the thesis.
- Concede what is true and relevant; do not give away the heart of the thesis.
Key relationships
| Form of concession | Example (Marlbridge) |
|---|---|
| Accept a portion as correct | “Critics are right that the scheme cost more than planned.” |
| Correct in other circumstances | “A ban would work where buses are reliable.” |
| Acknowledge own limits | “My evidence comes from only three schools.” |
| Signal words | Use |
|---|---|
| although, while, granted, admittedly | open a concession |
| but, yet, however, even so, still | pivot |
| therefore, so, thus | reassert |
The pattern
- Concede: state the opposing point accurately.
- Pivot: turn back with a contrast word.
- Reassert: return to the thesis, now narrower or better supported.
Public-domain anchor
Frederick Douglass (1852): “The signers of the Declaration of Independence were brave men. They were great men too.” Douglass concedes the founders’ greatness, a view his audience held strongly, before criticising the nation for failing their ideals. The concession wins a hearing, and the later criticism is framed as holding the nation to its own principles.
Worked mini-example
Thesis (Marlbridge): “Pupils should choose their own revision methods.”
- Concede: “Teachers are right that some pupils choose methods that do not work.”
- Pivot: “but the answer is guidance, not compulsion.”
- Reassert: “Pupils should choose their own methods, with teachers helping them test which ones work.”
Analysis sentence: “By conceding that some choices are poor, the writer meets the teachers’ likely objection and narrows the thesis into a safer position.”
Choosing what to concede
Ask three questions before you concede.
- Is it true? Concede only what the evidence supports.
- Is it relevant? Concede a point your reader is actually likely to raise, not a trivial one.
- Can I still hold my thesis? If the concession removes the reason for your claim, narrow the claim first or concede something else.
In a timed essay, one clear concession of one or two sentences, followed by a pivot, is usually enough. It shows that you have weighed the other side without using up the time you need for your own evidence.
Mistakes to avoid
- Conceding the heart of the thesis.
- No pivot after the concession.
- Conceding something untrue to seem polite.
- Conceding every point.
- Treating every “although” as a concession.
- Placing the concession where it does not meet the reader’s likely objection.
Quick self-check
- What are the three forms of concession? (Accept a portion as correct; agree it is correct under different circumstances; acknowledge limits of your own argument.)
- Why does conceding improve credibility? (It shows you have understood the other side and are fair-minded.)
- What follows a concession in a well-built paragraph? (A pivot and a reassertion of the writer’s claim.)
Next: practice questions.