System Design: Every Choice Has a Cost – concession and contrast for weighing trade-offs

Q: How do you use "despite the fact that"?

Use despite the fact that before a full clause, where plain despite can't go : Despite the fact that option B costs more than A, it's the one we chose. Plain despite takes a noun or an -ing form: Despite the extra cost, we chose B. So Despite Kafka is down is wrong; write Despite the fact that Kafka is down , or simply Although Kafka is down . Never add of after despite .

Q: What's the difference between even though and although?

Even though is a stronger, more emphatic although : both take a full clause and introduce a fact, but even though stresses how surprising the contrast is. Although option C is elegant, it costs too much. Even though Kafka is already in our stack, the ledger has never used it. In formal writing, although is the neutral choice; though is the most informal of the three.

Q: What are concession clauses?

A concession clause admits a point that contrasts with the main clause , usually with although , even though or though : Although the monolith has served us well, the ledger needs to move out. The main clause carries the speaker's real position. Despite and albeit do the same job in fewer words, and that said or nevertheless concede across two sentences. The C1 lesson System Design: Every Choice Has a Cost on edio.ai practices all three.

Q: How do you use albeit?

Albeit means although, but only before a word or short phrase : a faster, albeit riskier, design ; They scale more flexibly, albeit at a price. It never introduces a full clause, so It's cheaper, albeit it is slower is wrong; use although it is slower instead. Albeit sounds formal and concise, which suits design docs and reviews. The Slack chat on this page offers albeit with a clause as a wrong reply.

Q: How do you modify comparatives in English?

Put a modifier before the comparative to show the size of the gap: far , much or considerably for a big one, slightly or marginally for a small one. C is far more expensive than A. B is slightly slower than A. For exact multiples, use twice or three times as much as ; for the clear winner, by far the and a superlative. Very can't do this job: much cheaper , not very cheaper .

Q: What's the difference between even though and even if?

Even though is for facts, even if for possibilities . Even though Kafka is in our stack, the ledger doesn't use it. Even if Kafka goes down, no payment is lost : it might go down one day, and payments are safe either way. For an unlikely case, even if takes the past: Even if Kafka were down for an hour, we wouldn't lose a single payment. A drop-down drill on this page asks for both.

Q: Can you use "but" after "although"?

No: use although or but , never both . Although it's slower, it's safer and It's slower, but it's safer are both correct; Although it's slower, but it's safer is not. The same goes for even though and though . To stress the turn, split it into two sentences with That said or Even so . A Slack chat in System Design: Every Choice Has a Cost on edio.ai sets exactly this trap.

Q: What does trade-off mean?

A trade-off is giving up one benefit to gain another : Faster writes, but harder debugging. At work, people make or accept a trade-off, weigh the trade-offs between options and judge whether one is worth it: I think the trade-off is worth it. The noun is usually hyphenated, trade-off , plural trade-offs ; the verb is two words: trade off speed for safety .

Q: How do you concede a point in a discussion?

Admit the point first, then turn to your own view : Granted, five services is a lot for a team of six. Having said that, each one would have a much smaller blast radius. Openers include Admittedly , I'll admit that… , I see the appeal and True ; turns include That said , Even so and Nevertheless . The C1 lesson System Design: Every Choice Has a Cost on edio.ai rehearses it in a Slack debate.

Q: How do I teach concession and contrast to C1 learners?

Give learners a real decision with numbers on both sides , so every linker has a job: they must admit a weakness, then argue past it. Sort the linkers by what follows them (a clause, a noun, a phrase or a new sentence), then practice with a comparison table, where modifiers such as far and slightly must match the figures. For IT groups, a monolith-or-microservices debate works well.

With concession and contrast, from although to that said, this C1 English for IT lesson plan teaches learners to weigh trade-offs in design reviews.

Grammar: Concession linkers and what follows them (although + clause, despite + noun, albeit + phrase), even though vs even if, and modified comparatives: far more expensive.
Topic: An architecture review of three designs for a new ledger at a fictional payments startup, with words such as trade-off, monolith, source of truth and over-engineering.
Activities: A comparison table and a forum post to read, a debate to hear, self-checking drills, a Slack chat and open boxes, then a decision record to write and a pitch to record.

What's inside

Chapter 1Warm-up: There's No Free Lunch
- PictureUnlock
- Spin the wheel and discussSpin the wheelUnlock
- Study the system design vocabularyVocabularyTry it
- Match each term to the situation it describesMatchUnlock
Chapter 2Reading: Three Ways to Build a Ledger
- Read the comparison tableReal-life documentTry it
- Read Priya's post on the architecture forumReal-life documentUnlock
- True or false? Check the table and the postTrue or falseUnlock
- Choose the correct answer: the table and the postQuizUnlock
Chapter 3Listening: Priya vs. Tom
- Listen to Priya and Tom argue it outListeningTry it
- Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
- Choose the correct answer: the debateQuizUnlock
- Sort the arguments: who made each one?Sort into columnsUnlock
Chapter 4Grammar: Yes, But…
- Study the scheme: concession, contrast and comparativesGrammar schemeTry it
- Choose the correct linkerChoose the optionTry it
- Fill in each gap with one wordFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the option that fits the numbersChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose the correct answer: form and meaningQuizUnlock
Chapter 5Speaking: Argue Both Sides
- Choose the balanced, professional repliesChatTry it
- Open a box and argue your caseOpen the boxUnlock
Chapter 6Homework: Make Your Case
- Drag the words into the gaps: Priya's decision noteDrag and dropUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: idioms for trade-offsMemory gameUnlock
- Write the trade-offs section of a decision recordWriting, checked by the teacherUnlock
- Record a pitch that admits its weaknessesSpeaking, checked by the teacherUnlock

Vocabulary

10 words and phrases from the lesson, each with a picture and audio in edio.

+7 more with pictures and audio in the lessonMore words

operational overhead
eventual consistency
tight coupling
source of truth
over-engineering
non-negotiable
silver bullet

Grammar: concession, contrast and modified comparatives

A design review rewards engineers who admit a weak spot before making their case. Learners concede with although, despite, albeit, granted and that said, separate even though from even if, and measure each difference with a modified comparative, all with figures from three designs for a payments ledger.

Yes, but…: conceding a point and comparing options

Admit the weak spot, then make your case, and say exactly how much better or worse an option is.

What follows each linker

Although, even though and though take a full clause; despite and in spite of take a noun or an -ing form, or despite the fact that + clause. Albeit takes only a word or a short phrase: a faster, albeit riskier, design.

Linker	What follows	Example
although · even though · though	a full clause	Although option C is elegant, it costs too much.
despite · in spite of	a noun or an -ing form; or despite the fact that + clause	Despite the extra cost, we chose B. In spite of being slower, it's safer.
albeit	a word or a short phrase, never a clause	a faster, albeit riskier, design · albeit at a cost
while · whereas	a clause that contrasts two facts	Option A is synchronous, whereas B uses events.
admittedly · granted	the point you concede, with a comma after it	Granted, B costs more than A.
that said · having said that · even so · nevertheless · nonetheless	usually a new sentence, with a comma after it	C is elegant. That said, it's five services.

Conceding across two sentences

Granted and admittedly open the point you concede; that said, even so and nevertheless open your answer, usually in a new sentence. In speech, though can also close a sentence: Option B is simpler. It's slower, though. Although can't go there.

though at the end of a sentence

In speech, though can close a sentence and means "however": "Option B is simpler. It's slower, though." Although can't go there.

Even though or even if?

Even though introduces a fact: Even though Kafka is in our stack, the ledger doesn't use it. Even if introduces a possibility, true or not: Even if Kafka goes down, no payment is lost.

even though: it's a fact

Even though Kafka is in our stack, the ledger doesn't use it. (Kafka is in the stack.)
Even though C was her first choice, Priya backed B. (C was her first choice.)

even if: maybe it happens, maybe not

Even if Kafka goes down, no payment is lost. (It might go down one day.)
Even if the numbers look good, we'll wait six months. (We don't know yet.)

How big is the difference?

Far and much mark a big gap, slightly a small one: C is far more expensive than A. B is slightly slower than A. Nowhere near as … as means far from equal, three times as much as gives a multiple, and by far the most picks the winner.

Meaning	Form	Example
a big difference	far · much · considerably · significantly · a lot + comparative	C is far more expensive than A.
a small difference	slightly · marginally + comparative	B is slightly slower than A.
not equal at all	not nearly as … as · nowhere near as … as	C is nowhere near as fast as A.
an exact multiple	twice · three times as … as	C costs three times as much as A.
the clear winner	by far + the + superlative	C is by far the most expensive option.

Typical mistakes: linkers

Despite of the risk, we shipped it.
Despite the risk, we shipped it.
No of after despite. In spite of does take of.
Although it's slower, but it's safer.
Although it's slower, it's safer.
Use although or but, never both.
It's cheaper, albeit it is slower.
It's cheaper, although it is slower.
albeit + a word or phrase (albeit slower); before a clause, use although.
Despite Kafka is down, payments work.
Despite the fact that Kafka is down, payments work.
despite + a noun or -ing, or despite the fact that + a clause.

Typical mistakes: comparatives

C is very more expensive than A.
C is much more expensive than A.
very can't go straight before a comparative: use much, far or a lot.
A is more cheaper than C.
A is much cheaper than C.
cheap → cheaper: never more with -er.
C is nowhere near as fast than A.
C is nowhere near as fast as A.
as … as, never as … than.
C is the by far most expensive option.
C is by far the most expensive option.
by far goes before the.

More lessons on this grammar: Linking words lessons and exercises · Comparatives and superlatives lessons and exercises

Try the concession and contrast exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

What's in the lesson

11 auto-checked exercises
3 games
2 teacher-checked tasks
2 real-life documents
1 grammar scheme
1 set of word cards
1 audio clip
1 picture
1 transcript

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

concede a point, then make your case: Granted, B costs more than A. That said, it's far simpler to run than C.
follow each linker with the right form: although + clause, despite + noun or -ing, albeit + phrase
say exactly how big a difference is: slightly slower, three times as much as, by far the most expensive
write the trade-offs section of an architecture decision record that admits two weaknesses of your choice

Lesson 8 of English for IT C1 · Across the Company sits in unit 3, Security and design, between a security advisory and an RFC. It picks up even if from the conditions of lesson 4 and sets it beside even though, and lesson 9 turns the same kind of argument into a formal RFC with nominalization. Architecture reviews are where engineers must concede a point and still win the argument.

Students spin a wheel of design questions, then learn ten words such as single point of failure, eventual consistency and silver bullet with pictures and audio, and match them to situations. They read a table comparing three designs for a new ledger, from one service on PostgreSQL to five services on Kafka, and Priya's forum post backing the most expensive one. In the AI-voiced listening, Priya and Tom argue it out and settle on the middle option. Four self-checking exercises follow the scheme, including comparatives that must fit the table's numbers. In the speaking chapter, students answer Marcus in a Slack thread, then open boxes of design debates.

Homework starts with two self-checking games, a decision note with linkers to drag in and a memory match of idioms such as the lesser of two evils. Students then write the trade-offs section of an architecture decision record and record a pitch that admits its weaknesses, which go to the teacher for review.

Grammar:: concession and contrast · modified comparatives
Topic:: system design · software architecture · trade-offs

Teaching tips

Stage a three-step disagreement: one student proposes an option from the table, and the partner concedes with Granted, contrasts with That said and proposes another.
Make the numbers do the grammar: put the table's cost, latency and on-call pages on the board, and students compare pairs of options with slightly, far, twice as … as or nowhere near as … as.
Bring a real decision from the group's company: in-company learners argue for and against it, and each speaker must concede one point before making their own.
Drill albeit as a quick rewrite: give It's cheaper, although it's slower, and students shorten it to a cheaper, albeit slower, option, then compare two tools they use the same way.

Liked it?

Teach the whole lesson in edio

23 exercises in 6 chapters, ready to teach. edio is an online platform for language schools and teachers: ready-made interactive lessons, live classes, homework and student progress in one place.

Start a free trial
7 days, no credit card.
Open the lesson
Find it in the library of 621 ready lessons. Teach it as it is, or copy any chapter into your own lessons.
Teach it live or as homework
Students work in their own accounts, in sync with you during the lesson, and the practice exercises check themselves.

Teach it free for 7 days

The whole course: English for IT C1 · Across the Company

15 lessons at C1 for people who build software, in American English, with definitions instead of translations. The people of Kestrel Cloud, a fictional payments startup, write updates, reviews, RFCs and postmortems, explain tech to non-tech colleagues and negotiate scope. Real cases include the CrowdStrike outage and the xz backdoor.See the course

Unit 1 Talking to the team
async updates, code review and plain explanations: the future perfect, hedging, cleft sentences
Unit 2 Shipping and incidents
estimates, releases and outages: conditionals without if, phrasal verbs, modal perfects
Unit 3 Security and design
advisories, trade-offs and RFCs: passive reporting structures, concession and contrast, nominalization
1. Lesson 7Security Advisory: The xz BackdoorPassive reporting structures
2. Lesson 8 · you're hereSystem Design: Every Choice Has a CostConcession, contrast and modified comparatives
3. Lesson 9Writing an RFC That Gets ApprovedNominalization and formal register
Unit 4 Docs, metrics and meetings
READMEs, dashboards and follow-ups: participle clauses, describing trends, reporting verbs
Unit 5 Retros, interviews and AI
looking back and ahead: wish and would rather, inversion, formal obligation and permission

Questions about this lesson

How do you use "despite the fact that"?

Use despite the fact that before a full clause, where plain despite can't go: Despite the fact that option B costs more than A, it's the one we chose. Plain despite takes a noun or an -ing form: Despite the extra cost, we chose B. So Despite Kafka is down is wrong; write Despite the fact that Kafka is down, or simply Although Kafka is down. Never add of after despite.

What's the difference between even though and although?

Even though is a stronger, more emphatic although: both take a full clause and introduce a fact, but even though stresses how surprising the contrast is. Although option C is elegant, it costs too much. Even though Kafka is already in our stack, the ledger has never used it. In formal writing, although is the neutral choice; though is the most informal of the three.

What are concession clauses?

A concession clause admits a point that contrasts with the main clause, usually with although, even though or though: Although the monolith has served us well, the ledger needs to move out. The main clause carries the speaker's real position. Despite and albeit do the same job in fewer words, and that said or nevertheless concede across two sentences. The C1 lesson System Design: Every Choice Has a Cost on edio.ai practices all three.

How do you use albeit?

Albeit means although, but only before a word or short phrase: a faster, albeit riskier, design; They scale more flexibly, albeit at a price. It never introduces a full clause, so It's cheaper, albeit it is slower is wrong; use although it is slower instead. Albeit sounds formal and concise, which suits design docs and reviews. The Slack chat on this page offers albeit with a clause as a wrong reply.

How do you modify comparatives in English?

Put a modifier before the comparative to show the size of the gap: far, much or considerably for a big one, slightly or marginally for a small one. C is far more expensive than A. B is slightly slower than A. For exact multiples, use twice or three times as much as; for the clear winner, by far the and a superlative. Very can't do this job: much cheaper, not very cheaper.

What's the difference between even though and even if?

Even though is for facts, even if for possibilities. Even though Kafka is in our stack, the ledger doesn't use it. Even if Kafka goes down, no payment is lost: it might go down one day, and payments are safe either way. For an unlikely case, even if takes the past: Even if Kafka were down for an hour, we wouldn't lose a single payment. A drop-down drill on this page asks for both.

Can you use "but" after "although"?

No: use although or but, never both. Although it's slower, it's safer and It's slower, but it's safer are both correct; Although it's slower, but it's safer is not. The same goes for even though and though. To stress the turn, split it into two sentences with That said or Even so. A Slack chat in System Design: Every Choice Has a Cost on edio.ai sets exactly this trap.

What does trade-off mean?

A trade-off is giving up one benefit to gain another: Faster writes, but harder debugging. At work, people make or accept a trade-off, weigh the trade-offs between options and judge whether one is worth it: I think the trade-off is worth it. The noun is usually hyphenated, trade-off, plural trade-offs; the verb is two words: trade off speed for safety.

How do you concede a point in a discussion?

Admit the point first, then turn to your own view: Granted, five services is a lot for a team of six. Having said that, each one would have a much smaller blast radius. Openers include Admittedly, I'll admit that…, I see the appeal and True; turns include That said, Even so and Nevertheless. The C1 lesson System Design: Every Choice Has a Cost on edio.ai rehearses it in a Slack debate.

How do I teach concession and contrast to C1 learners?

Give learners a real decision with numbers on both sides, so every linker has a job: they must admit a weakness, then argue past it. Sort the linkers by what follows them (a clause, a noun, a phrase or a new sentence), then practice with a comparison table, where modifiers such as far and slightly must match the figures. For IT groups, a monolith-or-microservices debate works well.

What's good homework for practicing concession and contrast?

Good homework is a decision record that admits its own weaknesses, because the writer has to concede before defending the choice. In System Design: Every Choice Has a Cost, a C1 English for IT lesson on edio.ai, a decision note with linkers to drag in and a memory match of trade-off idioms check themselves. Students then write the trade-offs section of an architecture decision record and record a pitch, and the teacher reviews both.

Are there interactive exercises for concession and contrast?

Yes: drop-down linker drills and chats with instant feedback test whether learners can tell despite from although in context. Without signing up, you can try four parts of System Design: Every Choice Has a Cost, a C1 lesson on edio.ai, on this page: the table comparing three ledger designs, Priya and Tom's debate, a drill to choose the correct linker, and a Slack chat with Marcus that rewards balanced replies. Everything else stays locked.

Unlock full lesson

About this lesson

What's inside

Vocabulary

Grammar: concession, contrast and modified comparatives

What follows each linker

Conceding across two sentences

Even though or even if?

How big is the difference?

Typical mistakes: linkers

Typical mistakes: comparatives

Try the concession and contrast exercises

What's in the lesson

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

Teaching tips

Teach the whole lesson in edio

Start a free trial

Open the lesson

Teach it live or as homework

The whole course: English for IT C1 · Across the Company

Unit 1 Talking to the team

Unit 2 Shipping and incidents

Unit 3 Security and design

Unit 4 Docs, metrics and meetings

Unit 5 Retros, interviews and AI

Questions about this lesson

Teach this lesson with your students