Lesson 1.2 — Concedere e ribattere — Conceding then rebutting (Italian B2)

Listen first

A panel discussion on whether cities should ban private cars in the centre.

🔊 Real audio — spoken by your browser in Italian. Tap any word below to hear it.

New vocabulary — tap to hear

è vero che… mait's true that… but 🔊

tuttaviahowever / nevertheless 🔊

ciononostantenonetheless / in spite of that 🔊

d'altro cantoon the other hand 🔊

ammettere un puntoto concede a point 🔊

per quanto riguardaas regards / concerning 🔊

Now say it

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« Ammetto che il costo sia elevato; tuttavia, i benefici a lungo termine lo giustificano. » 🔊

I admit the cost is high; however, the long-term benefits justify it.

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Pronunciation

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È vero che vietare le auto in centro crei disagi, ma l'aria che respiriamo ne trarrebbe beneficio. 🔊It's true that banning cars downtown causes inconvenience, but the air we breathe would benefit.

Ammetto questo punto; tuttavia, i commercianti temono un calo delle vendite. 🔊I concede that point; however, shopkeepers fear a drop in sales.

Per quanto riguarda i negozi, gli studi mostrano l'opposto: le zone pedonali attirano più clienti. 🔊As regards shops, studies show the opposite: pedestrian zones attract more customers.

D'altro canto, non tutti possono spostarsi a piedi o in bicicletta. 🔊On the other hand, not everyone can move around on foot or by bike.

Ciononostante, un trasporto pubblico efficiente risolverebbe gran parte del problema. 🔊Nonetheless, efficient public transport would solve much of the problem.

Su questo concordo, a patto che gli investimenti siano adeguati. 🔊On that I agree, provided the investments are adequate.

Grammar in focus · concession + adversative connectors

To concede then rebut, pair a concessive opener with an adversative: « È vero che… ma… », « Ammetto che… tuttavia… », « Certo… ciononostante… ». Note « tuttavia » and « ciononostante » carry more weight than « ma ». « A patto che » and « purché » (provided that) take the subjunctive: « a patto che siano adeguati ».

Write it yourself

Write a reply to a claim you partly disagree with: concede one point, then rebut it in 4–5 sentences.

Your answer

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Tip for this task
Bene! A strong rebuttal names the valid part before countering it. Try: « È vero che ci siano dei rischi, ma ciononostante l'innovazione resta indispensabile ».

Quick check

An adaptive quiz confirms you've got it and schedules the right words for review.

1. Which word means « nonetheless »?

2. « A patto che » is followed by the…

3. Best opener to concede a point:

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