Making concessions

🔊 The teacher reads for you

« Ethics has nothing to do with business: you need money to make money. » — « Ethics has everything to do with business: greed may result in unfair competition and exploitation. » In such a debate, the speaker who refuses to hear the other side sounds intolerant, and loses his audience. You already know how to make a concession; this lesson makes sure you can use it in a debate on ethics in business. How can you admit that the other side has a point — and still defend your own?

🎓في نهاية هذا الدرس ستكون قادرا على:

الاعتراف بحجّة المخالف قبل الردّ عليها، حتّى لا يبدو الكلام متعصّبا
استعمال عبارات التسليم ⁦Point taken · Admittedly · Certainly · It is true that … · Of course⁩
العودة إلى الحجّة بعد التسليم بـ ⁦this being said · nevertheless · but⁩
إبداء الاعتراض بلباقة في الحوار ⁦(I see your point, but …)⁩، وكتابة خطاب قصير دفاعا عن الأخلاق في عالم الأعمال

🔑يفترض هذا الدرس أنّك تتقن:

عبارات إبداء الرأي والموافقة والمعارضة ⁦(I think that … · I agree · I disagree)⁩
أداتا الاستدراك والتعارض ⁦but · however⁩
كلمات أساسيّة: ⁦ethics · business · profit · competition⁩

1. Conceding a point — two moves

التسليم : تعترف أوّلا بأنّ للمخالف حجّة، ثمّ تعود إلى حجّتك. هكذا تعرض رأيك دون أن تبدو متعصّبا.

Conceding means admitting that the other side has a point. It is one way of putting forward an argument without sounding intolerant: you admit that there are arguments that differ from your own — and then you come back to yours. So a concession works in two moves. First you admit a point of the other side; then you come back to your argument. Admitting a point is not agreeing with everything: the second move keeps your position.

Making concessions — the expressions

Move	Expressions
1. admit the other side's point	Point taken · Admittedly, … · Certainly, … · It is true that … · Of course, … · Naturally, …
2. come back to your argument	This being said, … · Nevertheless, … · but …

This being said, we must … : the second move can end on what has to be done.

A concession in one sentence

I agree with you that work is the key to success; this being said, there is no reason why you should stay awake all night studying.

Task 1 — In this sentence, which part admits the other person's point, and which part comes back to the speaker's own argument?

أيّ جزء من الجملة يسلّم برأي المخاطَب، وأيّ جزء يعود إلى حجّة المتكلّم؟

It admits: « I agree with you that work is the key to success » — the speaker grants the point.
It comes back: « this being said, there is no reason why you should stay awake all night studying » — his own argument, which limits the first one.

This being said is the hinge: it means « I accept what I have just admitted — but ». Without it, the two parts would contradict each other.

2. The debate — ethics and business

النقاش : مجموعتان من الأفكار، واحدة ترى ألّا علاقة للأخلاق بعالم الأعمال، وأخرى ترى أنّ لها كلّ العلاقة.

Two sets of notes for a debate

A. Ethics has nothing to do with business. ● You need money to make money. ● People start business to become wealthy. ● People do business with each other for profit. ● The world of business is a jungle. ● Moral issues are a diversion. ● Respect of an ethical code may limit production and competition. ● Ethics can undermine the values of hard work and freedom. B. Ethics has everything to do with business. ● Business is a human activity and should, therefore, comply with moral standards. ● Some businessmen abuse work and safety regulations. ● Some business activities endanger the environment. ● Greed may result in unfair competition and exploitation. ● Business activities should have a code of good practice to ensure fairness.

Task 2 — You defend B. Concede one argument of A, then come back to your side. Write three concessions, each with a different expression.

أنت تدافع عن الرأي ⁦B⁩ : سلّم بحجّة من ⁦A⁩ ثمّ عد إلى رأيك، ثلاث مرّات بعبارات مختلفة.

Admittedly, people start business to become wealthy. This being said, business is a human activity and should, therefore, comply with moral standards.
It is true that you need money to make money; nevertheless, greed may result in unfair competition and exploitation.
Point taken: the world of business is a jungle. But that is exactly why business activities should have a code of good practice to ensure fairness.

Each concession takes its first half from A and its second half from B: the notes give you the arguments, the expressions give you the moves.

Task 3 — In a dialogue, a concession often begins with a polite disagreement: Yes, but … · I know, but … · I see your point, but … · But don't you think …? Answer each opinion politely.

A: Moral issues are a diversion. B: …… A: Ethics can undermine the values of hard work and freedom. B: ……

Task 3 — two polite answers

جوابان مهذّبان : تسليم بالرأي، ثمّ اعتراض عليه.

A: Moral issues are a diversion. B: I see your point, but some businessmen abuse work and safety regulations — and that is a moral issue, not a diversion. A: Ethics can undermine the values of hard work and freedom. B: Yes, but greed may result in unfair competition and exploitation. But don't you think a code of good practice protects hard work too?

3. A speech in favour of ethics in business

خطاب دفاعا عن الأخلاق في عالم الأعمال : اختر أهمّ الحجج والحجج المضادّة، وسلّم ببعضها قبل الردّ عليها.

Your turn. Some people say that businessmen should apply their own personal ethical standards when doing business. Discuss it, then write your speech. 1. Select the most important arguments and counterarguments from the notes, and develop them into a coherent speech in favour of ethics in business. 2. Make at least two concessions, with two different expressions. 3. Correct your mistakes. Then exchange drafts with a partner for further error checking before you write the final version. 4. Read your speech to your classmates. ⭐ Useful language — to state options: There are several ways we could deal with this · We have a number of options. To discuss effects: Let's think about the consequences of … · If we accept this … To decide: The solution then is to …

دورك : اكتب خطابا قصيرا دفاعا عن الأخلاق في عالم الأعمال، فيه تسليمان على الأقلّ بعبارتين مختلفتين، ثمّ اقرأه بصوت مرتفع.

A model speech

خطاب نموذجيّ : التسليم بالخطّ الغليظ.

Ladies and gentlemen, Some people think that ethics has nothing to do with business. I am not one of them. Admittedly, people start business to become wealthy, and you need money to make money. This being said, business is a human activity, and it should, therefore, comply with moral standards. It is true that the world of business is a jungle; nevertheless, a jungle without rules is dangerous for everybody: some businessmen abuse work and safety regulations, and some business activities endanger the environment. Point taken: respect of an ethical code may limit production and competition. But greed may result in unfair competition and exploitation — and that is far worse for competition. The solution, then, is to give every business activity a code of good practice to ensure fairness.

Check the model: three concessions, each taken from A and answered from B; one opinion stated at the start; one decision at the end (« The solution, then, is to … »).

In the exam, concession serves the written expression: an argumentative text is more convincing when it admits one argument of the other side before answering it. Have three things ready: ① an expression to admit — admittedly, certainly, it is true that, of course; ② an expression to come back — this being said, nevertheless, but; ③ a real argument after it, not a repetition of your opinion. The frequent mistake: conceding and stopping there — « Admittedly, people start business to become wealthy. » alone makes the reader think you have changed sides.

What I keep — To make a concession, I first admit one point of the other side — Point taken, Admittedly, Certainly, It is true that …, Of course — then I come back to my argument — This being said, nevertheless, but. In a dialogue, I see your point, but … does the same. Admitting that there are arguments different from mine keeps me from sounding intolerant, and makes my own argument stronger.

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