Distinguishing a Concession from a Reversal
About this practice test
An expository essay examines how concessions and reversals differ in argument, conversation, public discussion, and committee decisions, focusing on what remains in force after a contrast.
What you’ll practice
Finding detail
Locate specific information and evidence.
Interpreting ideas
Connect main points and inferences.
Evaluating arguments
Assess claims, evidence, and limitations.
What to expect:
8 questions with explanations to review after submission.
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Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.
- Practice level
- C2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.
- Question formats
- Multiple choice
How to approach this practice
Read the passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.
Distinguishing a Concession from a Reversal
In meetings about language, people often treat every turn marked by 'but' as if it were a contradiction. That habit is understandable; in ordinary conversation, the hinge arrives so quickly that the ear hears a change of direction before it registers what has been preserved. Yet a concession is not the same thing as a reversal, and the difference matters more than tidy grammar guides admit. A concession accepts something from the other side and then keeps going. A reversal accepts a point only to cancel the first claim or replace it with its opposite. This is why a sentence can sound firm while still conceding a limited objection. 'The plan is expensive,' someone may say, 'but it is still the fairest option.' The first clause survives; the speaker grants the objection to cost and then leaves the main judgement in place. The original claim remains alive, though not untouched. By contrast, 'The plan is expensive, but it is not fair' does not simply qualify the first thought. It turns the sentence against itself. The distinction becomes clearer when the second clause changes the recommendation. If a neighbour says, 'Your proposal is ambitious, but it will need more volunteers,' the remark is not a rejection of ambition. It is a concession that narrows the claim: ambition is admitted, and a practical condition is added. If the neighbour continues, 'Your proposal is ambitious, but we should postpone it,' the second part shifts the judgement. Now the practical response has changed, and the first praise no longer governs the outcome. Writers and speakers often use concessions for social reasons. They may want to disagree without appearing rude, or to recognise another person's point before narrowing it. In public discussion, this can be an act of respect rather than surrender. A concession lets the speaker appear fair-minded: 'You are right about the problem, but your cure is too drastic' sounds less abrasive than a flat dismissal. Because of that, listeners sometimes mistake politeness for retreat and assume the speaker has reversed position when the speaker has merely softened the route to a conclusion. Opposition is softened, not abandoned. Markers are helpful, but they are only clues. 'However' can introduce a concession as easily as a reversal; 'although' can do the same. Even 'still' and 'nevertheless' do not settle the matter on their own. The writer who says, 'The room was small, however it felt welcoming' is conceding a drawback while keeping the praise. Another writer may say, 'The room was small; however, that did not matter' and end in a different place. The word is similar, but the logical work is not. The strongest test is to ask which commitment survives after the hinge. If the later clause leaves the first claim standing, even in narrowed form, the sentence is concessive. If the later clause strips away the first claim or directs the reader to its opposite, the sentence is a reversal. This is why the difference is often local rather than total. The second clause may change the scale of the claim, its practical reach, or its tone without overturning the core point. Consider a discussion about a dress for a wedding. 'The dress is expensive, but worth it for a wedding' is not the same as 'The dress is expensive, but not worth it for a wedding.' The first keeps the purchase justified; the second undoes that justification. Both sentences begin by acknowledging the same flaw, yet they diverge in what they finally ask the listener to accept. One closes with approval, the other with refusal. In committee minutes, the distinction can decide whether a record reflects compromise or cancellation. If the chair says, 'We accept the complaint, but we will not revise the rule,' the complaint is granted while the policy remains. If the chair says, 'We accept the complaint, but we will revise the rule,' the acknowledgement leads to action that the first clause alone did not imply. The point is not that one side has vanished; rather, the later clause determines whether the earlier concession becomes the end of the matter or a step toward a new result. That is why tidy formulas such as 'but means contradiction' are too blunt. Human speech uses concessions to manage disagreement, to signal courtesy, and to keep a conversation open. In many settings, the social effect matters as much as the logical one. Yet logic is still there, waiting to be read. The listener should not ask only whether the speaker sounded negative or positive; the better question is what has been conceded, and what remains in force. A useful paraphrase is simple: concession says 'yes, and yet'; reversal says 'no, instead.' The phrases are not magic, and the punctuation cannot do the reading for us. Context decides whether the hinge is a turn within the same road or a step onto a different one. That is the difference worth hearing in a dinner conversation, a campaign speech, or a line of committee notes.
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Question 1 · Multiple choice
Choose all the correct answers.
Choose TWO statements that best capture the writer's overall position.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Punctuation is a more reliable guide than context.
- Concessions can acknowledge another view while preserving the speaker's conclusion.
- A reversal and a concession have the same effect when they share a contrast marker.
- The final commitment matters more than the contrast marker used.
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Concessions can acknowledge another view while preserving the speaker's conclusion.; The final commitment matters more than the contrast marker used.
The writer's central argument is that the relation depends on what remains in force after the hinge, not on the contrast marker itself. The passage also presents concessions as socially useful because they can acknowledge another view while preserving the speaker's conclusion. The other options mistake surface form for logical function.
The strongest test is to ask which commitment survives after the hinge
A concession lets the speaker appear fair-minded
Punctuation is a more reliable guide than context.: Not correct. The writer says that context decides the relation and punctuation cannot perform the reading.
Concessions can acknowledge another view while preserving the speaker's conclusion.: Correct. The passage describes concessions as socially useful ways to disagree without surrendering a position.
A reversal and a concession have the same effect when they share a contrast marker.: Not correct. The writer distinguishes their effects by examining what survives after the hinge.
The final commitment matters more than the contrast marker used.: Correct. The writer's test is to identify what remains in force after the hinge.
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Question 2 · Multiple choice
Choose all the correct answers.
Choose TWO statements that best describe what a concession does to an earlier claim.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- It always changes the speaker's final position.
- It is defined by a complete rejection of the earlier idea.
- It can add a condition while leaving the central judgement standing.
- It accepts part of an opposing point without necessarily abandoning the speaker's view.
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- It can add a condition while leaving the central judgement standing.; It accepts part of an opposing point without necessarily abandoning the speaker's view.
A concession preserves the earlier claim while accepting a limited objection or adding a condition. Its effect can therefore be substantial without being a reversal. The other options describe cancellation or replacement.
The original claim remains alive, though not untouched
It is a concession that narrows the claim
It always changes the speaker's final position.: Not correct. The speaker may narrow the claim while retaining the main judgement.
It is defined by a complete rejection of the earlier idea.: Not correct. Complete rejection belongs to reversal, not concession.
It can add a condition while leaving the central judgement standing.: Correct. The passage describes a practical condition being added without rejecting the proposal's ambition.
It accepts part of an opposing point without necessarily abandoning the speaker's view.: Correct. A concession grants something from the other side while the main view can remain in force.
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Question 3 · Multiple choice
Choose all the correct answers.
Choose TWO statements that best explain why a reversal is stronger than a qualification.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- The later clause cancels or replaces the first claim.
- It changes what the listener is finally asked to accept.
- It always leaves the original claim alive in narrowed form.
- It merely adds a practical condition to the original judgement.
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- The later clause cancels or replaces the first claim.; It changes what the listener is finally asked to accept.
A reversal does more than limit the first claim: the later clause cancels it, replaces it, or changes the practical result. This is why an initially positive or approving statement can end in refusal. The other options describe preservation rather than reversal.
A reversal accepts a point only to cancel the first claim or replace it with its opposite
Both sentences begin by acknowledging the same flaw, yet they diverge in what they finally ask the listener to accept
The later clause cancels or replaces the first claim.: Correct. This is the defining difference between reversal and mere qualification.
It changes what the listener is finally asked to accept.: Correct. The passage contrasts approval with refusal even when both sentences begin with the same acknowledgement.
It always leaves the original claim alive in narrowed form.: Not correct. That is characteristic of concession, whereas reversal removes or replaces the earlier claim.
It merely adds a practical condition to the original judgement.: Not correct. Adding a condition while retaining the judgement is presented as concession.
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Question 4 · Multiple choice
Choose all the correct answers.
Choose TWO statements that best explain why contrast markers cannot determine the relation by themselves.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- 'However' can introduce either a concession or a reversal.
- A concessive sentence cannot contain a word such as 'however'.
- The marker's meaning depends on the logical work of the clauses around it.
- 'Although' automatically signals that the first claim has been cancelled.
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- 'However' can introduce either a concession or a reversal.; The marker's meaning depends on the logical work of the clauses around it.
The same marker may introduce either a concession or a reversal, so its interpretation depends on the clause that follows and on the resulting commitment. The passage therefore treats markers as evidence to examine, not as automatic labels.
Markers are helpful, but they are only clues
The word is similar, but the logical work is not
'However' can introduce either a concession or a reversal.: Correct. The passage gives examples of both uses.
A concessive sentence cannot contain a word such as 'however'.: Not correct. The small welcoming room is an explicit concessive example using 'however'.
The marker's meaning depends on the logical work of the clauses around it.: Correct. Similar wording can lead to different relations depending on what conclusion follows.
'Although' automatically signals that the first claim has been cancelled.: Not correct. The passage says 'although' can introduce either kind of relation.
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Question 5 · Multiple choice
Choose all the correct answers.
Choose TWO examples in which the later clause preserves the earlier judgement rather than replacing it.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- 'The plan is expensive, but it is not fair.'
- 'The dress is expensive, but not worth it for a wedding.'
- 'The dress is expensive, but worth it for a wedding.'
- 'The plan is expensive, but it is still the fairest option.'
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- 'The dress is expensive, but worth it for a wedding.'; 'The plan is expensive, but it is still the fairest option.'
In both correct examples, the cost is acknowledged but the recommendation remains favourable. The other examples make the final judgement negative, so the initial acknowledgement no longer governs the outcome.
The first clause survives; the speaker grants the objection to cost and then leaves the main judgement in place
The dress is expensive, but worth it for a wedding
'The plan is expensive, but it is not fair.': Not correct. The later clause rejects the plan's fairness.
'The dress is expensive, but not worth it for a wedding.': Not correct. The final judgement removes the justification for buying it.
'The dress is expensive, but worth it for a wedding.': Correct. The drawback is accepted while the purchase remains justified.
'The plan is expensive, but it is still the fairest option.': Correct. The cost objection is granted, but the favourable judgement remains.
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Question 6 · Multiple choice
Choose all the correct answers.
Choose TWO statements that best capture the social function of concessions in disagreement.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Listeners sometimes mistake politeness for retreat.
- They always hide conflict completely.
- Speakers use them only in formal writing.
- They can make disagreement appear respectful without making it disappear.
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Listeners sometimes mistake politeness for retreat.; They can make disagreement appear respectful without making it disappear.
The passage links concessions with respectful disagreement and with the management of how opposition sounds. They soften the route to a conclusion, but they do not erase the underlying disagreement. The other options make the social function too absolute or restrict it to one setting.
They may want to disagree without appearing rude
Opposition is softened, not abandoned
Listeners sometimes mistake politeness for retreat.: Correct. The writer says that a softened disagreement can be misread as a change of position.
They always hide conflict completely.: Not correct. The passage says opposition is softened, not abandoned.
Speakers use them only in formal writing.: Not correct. The passage discusses conversation, public discussion, and committee language.
They can make disagreement appear respectful without making it disappear.: Correct. Concessions are presented as an act of respect while the disagreement remains.
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Question 7 · Multiple choice
Choose all the correct answers.
Choose TWO statements that best reflect the passage's treatment of partial change.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- The second clause never affects tone.
- A local change can narrow a claim while leaving its core intact.
- The practical reach of a claim may change without its core being overturned.
- Any change in the later clause contradicts every part of the first.
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- A local change can narrow a claim while leaving its core intact.; The practical reach of a claim may change without its core being overturned.
The writer allows that a later clause may alter the scale, reach, or tone of a claim while preserving its core. A change in practical response can instead produce reversal when it removes the earlier judgement's control over the outcome. The other options treat every change as total contradiction.
This is why the difference is often local rather than total
The second clause may change the scale of the claim, its practical reach, or its tone without overturning the core point
The second clause never affects tone.: Not correct. Tone is explicitly listed as something that may change.
A local change can narrow a claim while leaving its core intact.: Correct. The writer contrasts local qualification with total reversal.
The practical reach of a claim may change without its core being overturned.: Correct. The passage names practical reach as a possible limited change.
Any change in the later clause contradicts every part of the first.: Not correct. The distinction is often local rather than total.
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Question 8 · Multiple choice
Choose all the correct answers.
Choose TWO statements that best express the writer's proposed method for analysing a contrast.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Paraphrase the relation as 'no, instead' when the later clause replaces the first commitment.
- Paraphrase it as 'yes, and yet' when the earlier commitment remains in force.
- Count commas and semicolons before considering the conclusion.
- Treat the conjunction as decisive even when the outcome changes.
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Paraphrase the relation as 'no, instead' when the later clause replaces the first commitment.; Paraphrase it as 'yes, and yet' when the earlier commitment remains in force.
The writer proposes testing the surviving commitment through the paraphrases 'yes, and yet' and 'no, instead'. This method requires attention to context and consequence rather than to punctuation or the conjunction alone. The other options reverse or oversimplify the proposed method.
A useful paraphrase is simple: concession says 'yes, and yet'; reversal says 'no, instead
Context decides whether the hinge is a turn within the same road or a step onto a different one
Paraphrase the relation as 'no, instead' when the later clause replaces the first commitment.: Correct. This paraphrase corresponds to reversal.
Paraphrase it as 'yes, and yet' when the earlier commitment remains in force.: Correct. This captures concession, including a narrowed version of the first claim.
Count commas and semicolons before considering the conclusion.: Not correct. Punctuation cannot determine the logical relation.
Treat the conjunction as decisive even when the outcome changes.: Not correct. The writer says context and the surviving commitment decide the relation.
What to review next
Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.
A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.
Before you practise: a worked example
Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.
The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?
The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.
This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.