Persuasive writing: handle a counterargument (annotated workshop)

Quick Answer

A counterargument paragraph does four things in order: it states the strongest objection fairly, concedes what is true in it, pivots with a single word, and shows why the writer's position still holds. This workshop from Braintree Coaching Australia shows two original paragraphs, each as a weak draft and a revision, with every sentence of the revision annotated. It is written for Year 5–6 children practising persuasive writing and is free with no sign-up.

Who is this workshop for?

It suits a Year 5 or Year 6 child who can state a position and give a reason, but whose writing either ignores the other side or gives it too much room. It also helps a parent who has read "include a counterargument" in a tip sheet and cannot tell what one looks like on the page.

The NSW Department of Education lists the Selective High School Placement Test Writing section as one task in 30 minutes. The Department does not publish a list of task types, so persuasive writing is one kind to practise, not a confirmed format. Nothing we found in the Department's published material says a counterargument is required. This page teaches it as a skill that makes a persuasive argument more convincing. See the Department's Selective practice tests page and our guide to the Selective writing test.

The method also suits Years 7–9 persuasive writing, where paragraphs are longer but the same moves apply.

All paragraphs below were written by us as teaching examples. They are not real children's work and have not been assessed against any official criteria.

What is a counterargument, and why include one?

A counterargument is the best objection a reasonable person could raise against your position. Including one shows the reader you have thought about the other side, which makes your own side harder to dismiss.

A good counterargument paragraph has five parts:

1. Position: what the writer wants.
2. Objection: the other side's best point, stated fairly.
3. Concession: the part of that point that is true.
4. Pivot: a short turn, such as "Even so" or "However".
5. Rebuttal and link back: why the position still holds, and a return to it.

There are several ways to rebut. This workshop shows two: the benefit outweighs the cost, and the problem can be solved.

Paragraph 1: the objection that gets brushed aside

Prompt: Your school is deciding whether Year 6 students may spend lunchtime in the library instead of going outside. Write to the principal with your view.

Weak draft:

Year 6 should be allowed in the library at lunch. Some people say that students should go outside at lunch but they are wrong. The library is better. Reading is good for you and everyone knows that. So the library should be open.

What goes wrong:

• "Some people say" names nobody and no reason. The objection is never stated.
• "They are wrong" asks the reader to agree without a reason.
• "The library is better" and "reading is good for you" repeat the position instead of answering the objection.

Revised paragraph, annotated:

#	Sentence	Role	Annotation
1	The library should be open to Year 6 students at lunchtime if they choose to go.	Position	States what the writer wants and adds the condition "if they choose", which already softens the claim.
2	Some teachers worry that children who stay inside will miss fresh air and exercise.	Objection	Names a real group and a real reason. This is the objection a principal would actually raise.
3	That is a real cost, and for a child who stays in every day it would add up.	Concession	Admits the point is true, with a limit ("every day") that keeps the writer's position intact.
4	Even so, going inside now and then is a small cost beside what some children get back.	Pivot and rebuttal, benefit outweighs cost	"Even so" turns the paragraph. The writer weighs a small cost against a larger benefit.
5	A child who finds the playground loud and crowded can return to class calm and ready to concentrate.	Rebuttal, continued	Gives the benefit as a specific result a principal cares about. It stays on the same topic: lunchtime.
6	For those children, a quiet lunch in the library is worth more than a game they were never going to enjoy.	Link back	Names the weighing outright and returns to the position.

The rebuttal move in this paragraph is benefit outweighs cost. The writer accepts the cost and argues that it is smaller than the gain.

Paragraph 2: the concession that gives too much away

Prompt: The council wants to remove the Station Street bike lane to make room for car parking. Write to the council giving your opinion.

Weak draft:

Parking is very important and shops need customers, so maybe the bike lane should go. But bikes are good too. Also the council should plant more trees along the street because trees make the air cleaner and look nice.

What goes wrong:

• The first sentence agrees with the other side so completely that the position has disappeared. By the second sentence the reader does not know what the writer wants.
• "But bikes are good too" is not a reason and does not answer the shop owners' worry.
• The sentence about trees is a new reason on a different topic. It pulls the paragraph away from the objection.

Revised paragraph, annotated:

#	Sentence	Role	Annotation
1	The council should keep the Station Street bike lane, because it lets children ride to school safely.	Position	Clear in the first sentence, with the reason the writer cares about, so the reader knows where the paragraph is going.
2	Shop owners fear that fewer parking spaces will send customers elsewhere.	Objection	States the other side's worry in its strongest, most reasonable form.
3	That worry deserves to be taken seriously, because a shop depends on people being able to reach it.	Concession	Admits what is true: customers need access. It does not admit that the lane must go.
4	However, the problem can be solved without removing the lane.	Pivot, naming the rebuttal move: the problem can be solved	"However" turns the paragraph and tells the reader the next sentences are a solution.
5	The car park behind the library is a two-minute walk away, and clear signs at both ends of the street could point shoppers to it.	Rebuttal	A specific, practical fix that answers the parking worry directly.
6	With those signs, shoppers can still park and children can still ride to school safely.	Link back	Shows both groups protected, and returns to the position without adding a new reason.

The rebuttal move in this paragraph is the problem can be solved. The writer accepts the objection and then removes it.

What mistake patterns should we look for?

Pattern	Looks like	Fix to try
The straw-man objection	"Some people think school should have no breaks at all." Nobody holds this view, so beating it proves nothing.	Ask: who would really say this, and what is their best reason?
The concession that surrenders	"You are right, so maybe my idea is bad."	Admit one true point, then use "even so" or "however" before returning to the position.
"Some people say… but they are wrong"	The objection has no reason and the rebuttal has no reason.	Give the objection a reason, then give a reason it fails.
The rebuttal that brings in an unrelated new reason	An answer about parking that ends with a point about trees.	Check that every rebuttal sentence answers the objection you just stated.

Which sentence stems can help?

Use stems as a starting point, then let your child change the words. No more than six are needed.

• "Some people worry that…"
• "It is true that…"
• "That is a real cost, but…"
• "Even so, …"
• "However, this can be solved by…"
• "For this reason, …"

Can my child try it on a new prompt?

Prompt: Your school wants to hold the annual sports carnival on one day instead of two. Write to the principal giving your view and answering the strongest objection to it.

Give your child ten minutes to write one paragraph. Then check it together:

• Fair objection: Is the objection one that a real person would hold, stated without insults?
• True concession: Does the paragraph admit something true in the objection, in one sentence?
• Position survives: After the concession, can you still say in one sentence what the writer wants?
• Same topic: Does every rebuttal sentence answer the objection, with no new unrelated reason?

If two or more boxes are unticked, rewrite the paragraph once using the same prompt. Changing which rebuttal move is used, from "benefit outweighs cost" to "the problem can be solved" or the reverse, is a useful second attempt.

What should we do after this workshop?

• Keep the revised paragraph and write a short opening for it tomorrow, using our weak persuasive openings workshop. Short, separate sessions suit this skill better than one long essay.
• For more topics to practise on, see our selective writing prompts.
• For how the writing section works and how to pace it, read the NSW Selective writing test guide.
• If you are weighing up feedback options, our page on AI and teacher feedback explains what each kind of feedback can and cannot tell you.
• The free mock tests need a free classroom account.
• For a structured set of writing tasks with feedback, see what the Selective writing course includes and check how responses are assessed before buying.

Sources and review

Official source (checked 2026-10-15): NSW Department of Education, Selective High School practice tests: the Writing test is listed as 30 minutes. The Department's published material does not state that a counterargument is required.

Where the examples came from: all prompts, weak drafts and revisions are original Braintree Coaching Australia teaching examples written for this page. Names and places are made up. None is a real child's response, and none has been assessed against official criteria.

Author: James Rush, content writer, Braintree Coaching Australia.

Review status: on 2026-10-15 the two revisions were checked against the brief by a second pass, which found and fixed two inconsistencies. That pass was not a named teacher, and a named teacher review has not yet been recorded for this workshop. If you think a note is wrong or unclear, please tell us.

Last updated: 2026-10-15.