Primary English: Concession Paragraph Tutor Prep Guide | Four Steps, Nine Linkers and Word Budget

2026-11-14

Tutor lesson-prep guides · Primary English

Asked to argue one side, most pupils ignore the other side completely. This chapter reverses that: one although sentence gives the other side its strongest reason, one it is true that sentence admits it has a point, however pushes back, and therefore returns to the pupil own position.

Objectives — Students can: (1) name the four steps of a concession paragraph in order and give the linker that belongs to each step; (2) write one concession sentence of no more than twenty-five words and one rebuttal sentence, without pairing although with but; (3) keep the paragraph to eighty to one hundred and twenty words inside a two-hundred-word essay, and explain why the admission step cannot be skipped.

01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)

If any of these fails, fix it before the lesson starts.

Skill	Quick check	Pass mark
Present simple	She ___ (like) reading.	likes, third person takes s
Linker position	Although comes first, where is the main clause?	After the comma
Comparatives	What is the comparative of good?	better

02 Lesson flow (45 minutes)

Time	Stage	Tutor does	Student does
0-5 min	Two paragraphs	One one-sided, one with four steps	Say which is harder to argue against
5-15 min	Four steps	Four lines, one step each, linker named	Write four lines for one topic
15-25 min	Linkers	Five concession, four rebuttal, comma rules	Correct eight sentences
25-35 min	Word budget	Forty, one hundred and twenty, forty	Write a paragraph and count
35-43 min	Solo writing	Given a position, write the whole paragraph	Work alone
43-45 min	Exit check	Three questions collected and marked	Work independently

03 Teaching script (read it out)

Scene 1: The four steps: concede first, rebut second

A concession paragraph has four fixed steps: concede, admit, rebut, restate. Step one uses although, even though, while to bring in the strongest reason on the other side. Step two uses it is true that to admit one fair point, in a single sentence. Step three uses however, nevertheless to name what the other side has ignored. Step four returns to the writer own position with therefore or for this reason. The order cannot move: admitting before rebutting makes the reader feel heard, while rebutting first reads as arguing with yourself. Model paragraph: Although some pupils say homework helps them revise the next day, it is true that four hours of homework leaves no time to sleep or to play. However, fifteen minutes of revision each night is enough for most subjects, and a tired pupil remembers nothing the next morning. Therefore, schools should keep homework short and regular rather than remove it completely. Four steps, 61 words in total.

Students do: write the four steps as four lines, one sentence each, naming the linker at the end of every line. Students say: why the admission step cannot be dropped, and what a reader thinks when it is.

Scene 2: Nine linkers: position, commas and three bans

Five concession linkers: although, even though, while, despite the fact that, admittedly. The first three take a full clause; despite the fact that also takes a clause, but despite alone takes only a noun phrase, which is where most errors happen; admittedly usually opens the sentence and takes a comma. Four rebuttal linkers: however, nevertheless, on the other hand, still. However always takes a comma after it, nevertheless is more formal, and still works in speech. Write three bans on the board: although never pairs with but, because never pairs with so, and despite never takes a clause. The first ban costs the most marks in school tests. Model correction: although homework is useful, but it takes time becomes although homework is useful, it takes time.

Students do: correct eight sentences, deleting the extra but or so, or turning despite into despite the fact that. Students say: how despite differs from despite the fact that, and why the comma after however matters.

Scene 3: The word budget: one hundred and twenty words of two hundred

A P6 essay runs about 200 words: introduction 40 (20 per cent), concession paragraph 120 (60 per cent), conclusion 40 (20 per cent). The concession paragraph is the longest because it carries both sides. Four steps take four to six sentences, one or two each. The model paragraph measures 61 words, leaving 59 words for one more example. Paragraphs come out short for one reason only: the pupil stops after although and ends up speaking for the other side, with no rebuttal.

Students do: write their own paragraph, count the words, and mark the four steps in the margin. Students say: if only the concession is written, which side the reader thinks the writer supports.

04 Question types and worked steps

Type	Example	Steps	Answer
Sentence combining	Join two sentences with although and delete but	Find the repeated subject, then use a comma	Keeping but
Paragraph completion	Given the concession, add admission and rebuttal	One sentence each, with the named linkers	Turning it into surrender
Ordering	Four sentences shuffled	Decide who each sentence speaks for, then order by the four steps	Ordering by sentence length
Stance question	Read a paragraph and name the final stance	Read the sentence after therefore	Judging from the first sentence

Sanity check (teach this): Sanity check: the chapter teaches one paragraph, not the whole essay, because P6 school tests usually ask for one; linkers are capped at five concession and four rebuttal so they can be memorised; the word budget is computed as forty, one hundred and twenty and forty, which makes enough a countable target; the model paragraph measures 61 words against the one-hundred-and-twenty limit, so pupils see the 59 words left; notwithstanding is left out as beyond P6.

05 Independent practice (3 questions)

Question	Answer	What to watch
Four steps	Write four lines for one topic	Check each line uses the right linker
Linkers	Correct eight sentences	Check although and but never appear together
Word count	Write and count one paragraph	Check eighty to one hundred and twenty words with all four steps

06 Common mistakes and what to say

Mistake	Student writes	Say this
Although with but	Although homework is useful, but it takes time.	Keep one of the two: although homework is useful, it takes time.
Concession only	A whole paragraph praising the other side	Turn back after conceding: add a however sentence for your own side.
Despite plus clause	Despite it costs much, schools buy it.	Despite takes a noun: despite the cost, or write despite the fact that it costs much.
Admission as surrender	It is true that I agree with them completely.	Admission is one sentence: it helps a little is enough, or the rebuttal has nothing left to stand on.

07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)

Primary English chapter index — Every chapter in the subject
Tutor prep master index — Similar chapters in other subjects
Redo this chapter — Practice questions 1, 2 and 4: combining, completion, ordering

08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)

Question	Answer	Decision
Four steps	Four lines in the right order	Wrong order: reteach act one
Linkers	No although with but, comma after however	Wrong again: redo practice question 2
Word count	Eighty to one hundred and twenty words, four steps	Under eighty: back to act three

09 Tutor FAQ

Can the rebuttal come first?

No. Without a visible admission the rebuttal reads as talking to yourself, so concession always opens the paragraph.

How many sentences is one paragraph?

Four to six: one concession, one admission, one or two rebuttals, one restatement. More than six steals space from the conclusion.

What if the topic has no other side?

Then use the most common objection, such as too expensive or too time-consuming; P6 topics always have one.

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A TutorZone lesson-prep guide. Written by the TutorZone team; questions and lesson flow are original and are not taken from any school or publisher material.