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Language, when you need it
Search concise C2 rules, vocabulary and speaking phrases without leaving the course to hunt through past lessons.
What it is
This is the four-part shape behind most persuasive opinion pieces: a hook that earns attention, a clear claim, a concession that shows fairness, and a close that leaves the reader with something to act on or remember.
Form
| Form | Pattern | Model sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | Surprising fact / question / anecdote | Last year, more people quit their jobs than at any point in a decade — and almost no one asked why. |
| Claim | The real issue is... | The real issue is not pay, but a collapse in trust between staff and management. |
| Concession | Of course, / To be fair, | Of course, pay still matters — but it explains far less than leaders assume. |
| Close | Call to action / memorable line | Fix the trust, and the resignations will follow — downward, this time. |
Use it when
- You're writing a newspaper or magazine opinion piece
- You want to argue a position persuasively in a limited word count
- You need the reader to feel you've considered the other side before you close the argument
- You want the final line to be quoted or remembered
Examples
- Every winter, the same headlines appear — and every winter, nothing changes.
- The real problem isn't the policy itself, but how quietly it was introduced.
- To be fair, the government did act faster than in previous years.
- Still, speed without transparency is not the same as good governance.
- If we want a different result next winter, the debate needs to start now, not in December.
Watch out
✗ This article starts with the claim and never mentions the other side.
✓ This article states its claim, then briefly concedes a fair counterpoint before returning to it.
Without a concession, an op-ed sounds one-sided and less persuasive.
✗ The article ends with a bland summary of what was said.
✓ The article ends with a sharp, quotable line that reinforces the claim.
A weak close wastes the persuasive momentum built up earlier in the piece.
✗ The hook is a generic statement everyone already knows.
✓ The hook opens with a specific, surprising fact or question.
A flat opening loses the reader before the argument even starts.
Remember
Hook to earn attention, claim to earn clarity, concession to earn trust, close to earn memory.
Quick check
- 1. What are the four parts of this op-ed structure?
Reveal
Hook, claim, concession, close.
- 2. Why include a concession in a persuasive piece?
Reveal
It shows fairness and makes the writer's main claim more credible.
- 3. What should the close of an op-ed aim to do?
Reveal
Leave the reader with a memorable line or a clear call to action.