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Lesson planC155 minsNew. New: checked automatically for level, grammar, facts and originality; a teacher's review is still to come. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
The Price of a View: Linking contrast and concession
Students practise linking words for contrast and concession, like whereas and albeit, to debate tourism and conservation, then write a balanced essay.
Linking words · Discourse markers · Conservation · Nature · Tourism
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Plan at a glance
Aims
- Practise linking contrast and concession
- Learn and use 13 words and phrases in 2 sets: Contrast inside a sentence, Contrast between sentences
- Read for detail: the price of a view
- Writing task: a balanced argument
Stages · 55 min
- 5 minLead-in: Pairs talk about linking words and share ideas with the class.
- 5 minLanguage focus: Go through the grammar notes together and check understanding.
- 10 minControlled practice: Ex. 1–2
- 10 minAccuracy practice: Ex. 3–4
- 10 minReading: Ex. 5
- 15 minWriting: Ex. 6
Printables
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Download all (ZIP, 2 PDFs)Grammar notes
Three patterns
- + a clause: whereas, although, even though. Rangers want fewer visitors, whereas hotels want more.
- + a noun or -ing form: despite, in spite of, notwithstanding. Despite the rain, the trail was busy.
- New sentence + comma: nevertheless, nonetheless, even so, however, in contrast. The ban was unpopular. Nevertheless, it worked.
Watch out
- albeit + an adjective, adverb or short phrase, not a full clause: finished, albeit late (not albeit it was late).
- on the contrary rejects what was just said (It isn't quiet. On the contrary, it's packed.); in contrast compares two different things.
- admittedly concedes a point before you argue against it: Admittedly, it's expensive, but…
Study tips
- When you learn a linker, learn a whole example sentence with it, including the punctuation.
- In essays, use concession (admittedly, albeit) to show you have considered the other side before giving your view.
Glossary
- Contrast inside a sentence7 items
- Contrast between sentences6 items
Complete the exercises, then check your answers.
1
Where does it go?
How is each linker used? Put it in the right group: followed by a clause (subject + verb), followed by a noun or -ing form, or at the start of a new sentence followed by a comma.
- a
nonetheless
- b
even though
- c
although
- d
even so
- e
despite
- f
nevertheless
- g
whereas
- h
notwithstanding
- i
in spite of
2
A park divided
Complete the sentences about Greyfell National Park with the linkers in the box. There is one extra linker.
Word box
Tap a gap, then a word, or type the answer.
- a
The park attracts two million visitors a year, the village at its centre has only 300 residents.
- b
The new visitor centre was approved, strong opposition from local people.
- c
The scheme was expensive; , most residents felt it was worth the money.
- d
The damaged trail has now been repaired, only partly.
- e
, the parking fees are high, but they pay for the park's rangers.
- f
The north of the park is crowded all summer. The south, , is almost empty.
- g
Visitor numbers fell slightly last year. , income from the car parks went up.
3
Say it another way
Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Use the word given and between two and five words.
- a
The trail is beautiful. However, it is very crowded in summer.
ALBEIT
The trail is beautiful, in summer.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
- b
Rangers want fewer visitors, but hotel owners want more.
WHEREAS
Rangers want fewer visitors, more.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
- c
The ban was unpopular, but it protected the wildlife all the same.
NEVERTHELESS
The ban was unpopular; the wildlife.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
- d
I admit that the fees are high, but they fund conservation work.
ADMITTEDLY
high, but they fund conservation work.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
- e
Despite the protests, the council approved the new car park.
ALTHOUGH
, the council approved the new car park.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
- f
Visitor numbers rose in the north of the park. In the south, they fell.
CONTRAST
Visitor numbers rose in the north of the park. in the south.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
4
Find and correct the mistake
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correction: the corrected word(s) or the whole sentence.
- a
The coast is busy all year. On the contrary, the mountains are quiet in winter.
- b
Despite of the rain, hundreds of people walked to the summit.
- c
Although the high price, the guided tours sold out quickly.
- d
The new bridge was finished, albeit it was two years late.
- e
The plan was popular with visitors. Nevertheless of this, many residents disliked it.
- f
The trail stayed open even although part of it had been damaged by the storms.
5
Read: the price of a view
Read the text. Are the sentences true, false or not given?
Few places illustrate the tension between tourism and conservation as clearly as Greyfell National Park. Its lakes and high moorland draw around two million visitors every year, whereas the park's only village, Hollin, is home to barely 300 people. For decades, the two groups lived side by side without serious conflict. Over the past ten years, however, that balance has become far harder to maintain. The problem, according to the park's chief ranger, Ana Kowalczyk, is not visitor numbers as such but where people go. Nine out of ten visitors walk the same three trails, which have become badly eroded. Rare ground-nesting birds, which were once common along the lake shore, have almost disappeared from the busiest areas. 'People come here because they love the place,' she says. 'Nevertheless, we are in danger of destroying exactly what they come to see.' Last spring, the park authority introduced a daily limit on cars and doubled parking fees. The decision was controversial. Hotel and café owners in Hollin argued that it would drive customers away, and several described it as an attack on their livelihoods. Admittedly, the first summer was difficult: visitor numbers fell by around a tenth, and two cafés closed. Even so, the authority insists that the policy is working. Birds have begun to return to parts of the shore, and income from parking, which pays for trail repairs, actually rose. Opinion in the village remains divided. Some residents welcome the quieter roads, albeit with reservations about the cost to local businesses. Others feel that decisions are being made by people who do not live in the park and will never have to deal with the consequences. Notwithstanding these disagreements, both sides accept one point: without some form of control, Greyfell will not survive in its present form.
- a
Hollin is the only village inside the park.
- b
Ana Kowalczyk believes the main problem is the total number of visitors.
- c
Most visitors use the same small number of trails.
- d
The car limit was introduced after a vote by the residents of Hollin.
- e
Visitor numbers fell by about half in the first summer.
- f
Money from parking is used to repair the trails.
- g
Most residents of Hollin now support the car limit.
6
Write: a balanced argument
Write a discursive essay.
Write an essay (220–260 words) with the title: 'Should popular natural areas limit the number of visitors?' Present arguments on both sides, then give your own opinion. Use at least six linkers from the box, and use each one correctly: check whether it needs a clause, a noun or a new sentence. Word box: nevertheless · nonetheless · whereas · albeit · notwithstanding · admittedly · even so · in contrast Example: Admittedly, limits can hurt local businesses. Nevertheless, without them, the places people love may be damaged beyond repair.
Suggested minimum: 220 words
0 words · aim for at least 220
Spotted a mistake in this lesson?· tell us the exercise and item
Revise with a game
This lesson's own words and questions. Play on your own, or in teams on the classroom screen.
- Step UpAnswer the lesson's questions to climb to the top.
- Pair UpMatch the lesson's words to their meanings against the clock.
- SnapA word and a meaning: do they go together? Answer fast.
- Fix ItFind the mistake in each sentence, then correct it.
- Quiz BoardTeams choose questions worth 100 to 500 points.
- Retro arcadeWord Invaders, Word Snake, Word Maze and Word Crossing: classic arcade games with the lesson's words.
Glossary
The 13 words and phrases this lesson teaches, in 2 sets.
Contrast inside a sentence
- although
- introduces a contrasting clause: although + subject + verb
- even though
- a stronger although, stressing a surprising contrast; + a clause
- whereas
- compares two different facts in one sentence; + a clause
- albeit
- although; formal, followed by an adjective, adverb or short phrase, not a clause
- despite
- without being affected by; + a noun or -ing form
- in spite of
- the same as despite; + a noun or -ing form
- notwithstanding
- formal: despite; + a noun or -ing form
Contrast between sentences
- however
- introduces a contrast with the previous sentence; usually followed by a comma
- nevertheless
- in spite of what has just been said; formal, often at the start of a sentence
- nonetheless
- the same as nevertheless; formal
- even so
- in spite of that; neutral and common in speech
- admittedly
- used to accept that a point against your argument is true
- in contrast
- used to show that two things are clearly different
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