What is a counter argument in the context of Edexcel IGCSE English Language Paper 1?

In the Edexcel IGCSE English Language Paper 1, a counter argument is a point of view that opposes the main argument presented in your writing. It is used to demonstrate an understanding of different perspectives and to strengthen your own argument by addressing and refuting opposing views.

How do I effectively introduce a counter argument in my essay?

To effectively introduce a counter argument, start by acknowledging the opposing viewpoint in a respectful manner. Use phrases like 'Some may argue that...' or 'An opposing perspective is...'. This sets the stage for you to present the counter argument clearly before you refute it with evidence and reasoning.

Why is including a counter argument important in transactional writing for Edexcel IGCSE?

Including a counter argument is important because it shows critical thinking and a balanced approach to the topic. It demonstrates to the examiner that you can consider multiple viewpoints and strengthens your argument by preemptively addressing potential criticisms.

What are some strategies for refuting a counter argument in my writing?

To refute a counter argument, use evidence and logical reasoning to demonstrate why the opposing view is less valid or flawed. You can point out inconsistencies, use statistical data, or highlight logical fallacies in the opposing argument. This reinforces the strength of your original argument.

Can you provide an example of a counter argument and refutation in a transactional writing piece?

Certainly! If your main argument is that 'school uniforms improve student focus,' a counter argument might be 'some believe uniforms suppress individuality.' To refute this, you could argue that 'while individuality is important, uniforms reduce distractions and create a more focused learning environment, which ultimately benefits all students.'

Why is "Forgetting to address the audience at the start" a common mistake in Writing Counter Argument?

Why it happens: Students begin writing immediately without establishing the speech convention. How to avoid it: 'Ladies and gentlemen', 'Good morning', 'Fellow students and honoured judges' — one of these must appear in the first line. This is a form convention worth marks and takes two seconds. Source: Pearson 4EA1 Examiner Reports

Why is "Forcing rhetorical devices awkwardly into the text" a common mistake in Writing Counter Argument?

Why it happens: Students know they need devices and insert them regardless of whether they fit, producing clunky, unnatural prose. How to avoid it: Rhetorical devices should enhance meaning, not be bolted on. If an anaphora doesn't arise naturally, try a different device. The skill is knowing which device serves the argument at each moment — not collecting as many as possible.

Why is "Ignoring the counter-argument entirely" a common mistake in Writing Counter Argument?

Why it happens: Students focus only on their own side and treat any acknowledgement of the other side as weakness. How to avoid it: Addressing the counter-argument is a sign of strength, not weakness. One paragraph — 'I know some will argue...' followed by a clear rebuttal — signals to the examiner that you are a confident, sophisticated writer. Level 5 responses almost always include this.

Transactional Pack - Paper 1Pearson Edexcel IGCSE English Language A 4EA1

Writing Counter Argument

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Speech Writing (AO4 & AO5) — Pearson Edexcel IGCSE English Language A 4EA1 (2026 onwards)

A speech is written to be heard. Unlike an article or letter, it exists in performance — it must carry the audience with it through rhythm, direct address, and rhetorical power. In 4EA1, speech writing tasks reward students who understand this: that a speech is not an essay read aloud, but a carefully crafted piece of spoken language that uses structure, sound, and silence to persuade, inspire, or argue.

At a glance

A speech is written to be heard — rhythm, repetition, and direct address are not optional; they are the form.
Open by addressing the audience: 'Ladies and gentlemen...', 'Fellow students...', 'Good morning...'
Rhetorical devices are essential: rule of three, anaphora, rhetorical questions, inclusive pronouns.
Short sentences for impact — at key moments, one or two words can carry a paragraph's worth of meaning.
Anecdote and personal example are more powerful in speeches than dry statistics — make the audience feel before you make them think.
Close with a call to action or resonant conclusion — the audience should leave knowing what you want them to do or feel.
Avoid starting sentences with 'Firstly/Secondly/Finally' — this makes a speech sound like an essay. Use transitions that acknowledge the live audience.

What you’ll learn

Mapped to the Edexcel IGCSE 4EA1 syllabus (2026 onwards).

AO4 — Write a speech that communicates clearly, effectively and imaginatively for a specific audience and purpose.
AO5 — Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures appropriate to speech writing, with accurate spelling and punctuation.
Understand and apply the conventions of formal speech writing.
Use rhetorical devices (anaphora, rule of three, direct address, rhetorical questions) for persuasive effect.
Structure a speech for maximum impact: opening, development, conclusion.

Speech conventions — what makes it read like a speech

A speech has a distinctive structure and voice that sets it apart from every other form.

Speech is the most performance-oriented form on the 4EA1 paper. Every convention signals to the examiner that you understand the spoken context of your writing.

AFOREST is the persuasive checklist — pick a few devices and develop them; over-using all seven makes speeches mechanical.

Essential speech conventions:

1. Address the audience directly and immediately The first line of a speech must establish the relationship between speaker and audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen, fellow citizens, friends..."
"Good morning, and thank you for the opportunity to speak today."
"Students of this school, I stand before you today with a question that I believe concerns every one of us in this room."

Do not open with a sentence that could begin any other form of writing. The opening must be unmistakably a speech.

2. Personal pronouns — 'we' and 'you' Speeches create community. The speaker is part of the audience ('we', 'us', 'our') and also addressing them ('you', 'your').

"We face a choice. We can look away, or we can act."
"You have more power than you realise."

3. Rhetorical questions Ask questions the audience will agree with or feel compelled to answer internally:

"How many of us have sat in a classroom and wondered: what is the point of this?"
"If not us, then who? If not now, then when?"

4. Repetition and anaphora The deliberate repetition of words or phrases at the start of successive clauses — one of the most powerful tools in political and persuasive speechmaking:

"We will not give up. We will not back down. We will not be silenced."
"I believe in this school. I believe in these students. I believe in what we can achieve."

5. Rule of three Groups of three have a natural rhythm that feels conclusive and memorable:

"We need courage, commitment, and above all, the will to change."
"This affects our health, our happiness, and our future."

6. Pauses and pace (signalled in the text) Effective speeches build in moments that signal a pause:

A short sentence after a long sequence: "Think about that."
A single-word sentence for shock: "Nothing."
An ellipsis or colon to create a beat: "And the result? Silence."

7. A call to action in the conclusion Speeches must end with purpose. What do you want the audience to do?

"So I ask each of you — go home tonight, speak to your parents, and make your voice heard."
"The time for talking is over. This is the moment to act."

Open by addressing audience directly — set the speaker-audience relationship immediately.
'We' and 'you': create shared community, then direct personal challenge.
Rhetorical questions: make the audience think and agree.
Anaphora + rule of three: rhythm and memorability.
End with a clear call to action.

Structuring a speech — opening, body, conclusion

A great speech is built in three phases, each with a specific job.

Phase 1 — The Opening (approximately 10-15% of the speech)

The opening must do three things simultaneously:

Establish rapport with the audience (address them directly)
Hook their attention (anecdote, striking fact, provocative question)
Announce the speaker's position or the topic's stakes

Strong opening example: "Good afternoon, fellow students. Three years ago, I sat exactly where you are sitting now, and I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life. That uncertainty felt like failure. Today, I want to argue that it was the most important thing that ever happened to me — and that it might be the most important thing happening to many of you right now."

Notice: address (Good afternoon), rapport (I sat where you are), hook (personal anecdote), stakes (uncertainty felt like failure), position (it was important — and so is yours).

Phase 2 — The Body (approximately 70-75% of the speech)

Develop 3-4 main arguments or perspectives. Each should:

Open with a clear main point (a topic sentence that works in spoken form)
Be supported with evidence, anecdote, or example
Use at least one rhetorical device
Connect to the next point with a spoken transition

Spoken transitions (not 'Firstly/Secondly'):

"But this is only part of the story..."
"Let me take you back to that question I asked at the start..."
"I know what some of you are thinking: 'But surely...' Let me address that."
"Now, you might argue that... But consider this:"

The acknowledgment and rebuttal of counter-arguments is especially valued in speech writing tasks that ask you to 'argue'. It shows intellectual confidence.

Phase 3 — The Conclusion (approximately 10-15% of the speech)

The conclusion should:

Briefly echo the key point(s) without repeating the whole argument
Return to the opening image or anecdote if possible (circular structure)
End with a call to action, a resonant final statement, or an unforgettable image

Conclusion returning to opening: "I came here today not knowing exactly what I wanted to say. I think that uncertainty — the kind I felt three years ago, the kind many of you feel now — is not something to overcome. It is something to inhabit. Because in that space between not-knowing and knowing, that is where every good thing begins. Thank you."

Opening: address + hook (anecdote/question) + position — all in the first paragraph.
Body: 3-4 arguments, each with evidence and a rhetorical device; use spoken transitions.
Conclusion: echo, circular return to opening, call to action or resonant final image.
Counter-argument and rebuttal in the body = confident, high-mark speechmaking.

Language for speeches — the toolkit

The specific linguistic devices that make speeches powerful.

Core rhetorical devices for speech writing:

Anaphora — repetition of a phrase at the start of successive sentences:

"We can do better. We must do better. And tonight, I am here to ask you: will you do better with me?"

Epistrophe — repetition at the END of successive clauses:

"They said it couldn't be done. They said the time wasn't right. They said we weren't ready."

Tricolon (rule of three) — groups of three, with escalating intensity:

"This is not just about our school. This is not just about our community. This is about the kind of world we want to live in."

Rhetorical questions:

"If we allow this to continue, what are we saying about our values? What are we saying about ourselves?"

Emotive language / pathos:

"Imagine — just for a moment — that it was your child. Your sibling. Your friend."

Inclusive pronouns ('we', 'our', 'us'):

"We built this together, and we will protect it together."

Hypophora — asking and immediately answering a question:

"Is this the world we want to hand to our children? Absolutely not. And that is why we are here."

Ethos — establishing the speaker's credibility:

"As someone who has spent ten years working in this field, I can tell you with certainty..."

Logos — appealing to reason with evidence:

"The facts speak for themselves: in every school where this initiative was introduced, attendance rose by 12% in the first term alone."

The power of the short sentence: After a long sequence of rhetorical language, a very short sentence creates maximum impact:

"We have been waiting too long. Too long for promises that become footnotes. Too long for change that never comes. Enough."

Anaphora: repeated opening phrase builds momentum and rhythm.
Tricolon: rule of three feels natural and memorable in speech.
Rhetorical questions: provoke agreement and engagement.
Pathos: anecdote and emotive language make the audience feel before they think.
Short sentence after long sequence: maximum impact at key moments.

How it’s examined

Component 1 Section B — speech writing is regularly set. The task will specify the occasion (school assembly, community meeting, competition), the audience, and the topic/angle. AO4 (30 marks) + AO5 (15 marks) = 45 marks total.

What the examiner is looking for: form conventions (audience address, rhetorical devices), an appropriate voice for the occasion, a clear persuasive or argumentative position, and structural organisation that feels like a genuine speech rather than an essay.

Examiner reports note: The strongest speech responses use rhetorical devices purposefully — not as a checklist, but as tools that serve the argument. The weakest write a five-paragraph essay with 'Firstly, Secondly, Thirdly, In conclusion' and no audience address. The examiner cannot award marks for form if the form is absent.

Sources: Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Language A (4EA1) — Specification Issue 7, August 2025; Pearson Edexcel 4EA1/01 Mark Schemes and Examiner Reports 2022-2024. Last reviewed 2026-05-15.

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Step-by-step worked examples — Writing Counter Argument

Step-by-step solutions to past-paper-style questions on writing counter argument, written exactly the way a tutor would explain them at the board.

1Writing a speech opening — direct address, hook, and position
Higher• AO4, speech, opening, rhetorical devices
Question
Task: Write a speech for a school debate arguing that zoos should be abolished. Write the opening paragraph (approximately 100 words).
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Direct address: always begin with an audience address — 'Ladies and gentlemen', 'Fellow students and honoured judges', 'Good morning'. This is a non-negotiable convention for speech form.
2. Step 2
  Hook: follow the address with the most powerful image, statistic, or question available. Do not begin with the thesis — begin with something that arrests attention.
3. Step 3
  State position clearly: by the end of the opening paragraph, the audience must know exactly where you stand. Do not hedge.
4. Step 4
  Rhetorical device in opening: include at least one device — rhetorical question, rule of three, anaphora, or a striking metaphor. This signals immediately that you are in control of the language.
Answer
Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to imagine an elephant. Not the elephant you see on a wildlife documentary — wild, social, ranging across hundreds of kilometres of terrain. I want you to imagine the elephant in a concrete enclosure, eleven metres by fifteen, with nothing to do and nowhere to go. I want you to imagine her pacing. I want you to imagine her rocking back and forth. These are not fictional animals — they are the reality of zoo confinement. And today I am going to argue that a society that values compassion cannot continue to justify this, no matter how many educational leaflets it hands out at the gate.
Examiner tip
This opening earns Level 4-5 AO4 by: (1) opening with direct audience address, (2) using the 'imagine' hook repeated three times (anaphora creating rhythm and building the image), (3) stating the position clearly ('I am going to argue that...'), (4) ending with a counter-argument reference ('no matter how many educational leaflets') that signals awareness of the other side. The register is formal but passionate — appropriate for a debate speech.
2Deploying rhetorical devices in a speech body paragraph
Higher• AO4, rhetorical devices, anaphora, rule of three
Question
Write a speech body paragraph arguing that screen time is damaging children's development. Demonstrate the use of at least three rhetorical devices.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Anaphora: repeat a key phrase at the start of successive sentences for rhythmic emphasis ('We are seeing... We are seeing... We are seeing...').
2. Step 2
  Rule of three (tricolon): group key ideas in threes — one item would be insufficient; two creates balance; three creates rhythm and completeness ('attention spans, emotional regulation, and social empathy'). A tricolon is three grammatically parallel items that build or accelerate in intensity.
3. Step 3
  Rhetorical question: pose a question the audience cannot comfortably answer with a 'yes'. Used effectively, it forces the audience to reach your conclusion themselves.
4. Step 4
  Counter-argument and rebuttal: address the opposing view and dismiss it — this is expected at Level 4-5. It shows intellectual confidence rather than weakness.
Answer
We are seeing it in the classroom. We are seeing it in the consultation room. We are seeing it in the data that piles up, study after study, from Oxford, from Harvard, from the American Academy of Paediatrics. Children who spend more than three hours a day on screens score lower on measures of attention, emotional regulation, and social empathy. Three capacities that are not optional extras — they are the foundations of a human life. And I ask you this: if we saw any other single behaviour producing these results at this scale, would we not act? Would we accept it from a drug? From a food additive? From a toy? We know the answer. The only question is why we accept it from a screen.
Examiner tip
This paragraph uses: anaphora ('We are seeing'), rule of three / tricolon ('attention, emotional regulation, and social empathy'), another tricolon ('a drug? a food additive? a toy?'), and a series of rhetorical questions that build to an unanswerable conclusion. This is Level 5 AO4 in action — rhetorical devices are not decorative, they are structural.
3Counter-argument technique — the steel-man move
Higher• AO4, counter-argument, rebuttal, speech structure
Question
Task: You are delivering a speech arguing that school uniforms should be abolished. Write a body paragraph that employs the steel-man technique — acknowledge the strongest version of the opposing argument before dismantling it.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  What is the steel-man move? The steel-man is the opposite of a straw-man. Instead of presenting the weakest version of the opposing view (to knock it over easily), you present the strongest, most generous version — and then refute it. This demonstrates intellectual honesty and confidence, and is far more convincing to an audience that holds the opposing view.
2. Step 2
  How to introduce it: signal that you are giving the other side its best case — 'The strongest argument for uniforms is...' / 'I will concede what is most credible about the opposing view: ...' / 'Let me be fair to those who disagree with me.'
3. Step 3
  Build the opposing argument up: give it full, fair expression. Do not caricature. If the argument is that uniforms reduce inequality, say so — and say why that argument is compelling.
4. Step 4
  Refute at the level you built it: now dismantle it at the same level of sophistication. Show why, even accepting the opposing argument's strongest premise, your position still holds.
Answer
Let me be fair to those who disagree with me — because the strongest case for school uniform is a serious one, and it deserves a serious answer. The argument goes like this: uniforms reduce visible markers of economic inequality. A child from a wealthy family and a child from a struggling one look, at least superficially, the same. No designer trainers, no pressure to wear the latest brands, no social hierarchy enforced by clothing. It is, on its face, a compassionate argument. And I accept that the problem it identifies — the cruelty of visible inequality among young people — is real.

But here is what the argument misses. Uniform does not remove inequality. It conceals it. The child who cannot afford the school trip still cannot afford it. The child who goes home to a cold flat still goes home to a cold flat. The child whose parents cannot buy the correct shoes still arrives in the wrong ones — and is still, I promise you, noticed. If we are serious about inequality in schools, we need school meals, we need adequate heating, we need smaller class sizes, we need properly funded pastoral care. What we do not need is a blazer and a tie standing in as a substitute for all of that.
Examiner tip
This is the steel-man technique in action. Notice: (1) the opposing argument is given its best possible form ('a serious one... deserves a serious answer'), (2) its internal logic is followed through faithfully, (3) the rebuttal then strikes at the premise ('Uniform does not remove inequality. It conceals it.'), (4) the final sentence delivers the rhetorical blow — listing what real solutions look like and contrasting them with the 'blazer and a tie'. Level 5 AO4 examiners look specifically for this kind of structured intellectual engagement.
4Register and audience — formal school debate vs passionate public rally
Higher• AO4, register, audience, tone
Question
Topic: the need for action on climate change. Write two openings — one for a formal school debate (audience: teachers, judges, fellow students) and one for a passionate speech at a public rally (audience: a mixed crowd of environmental activists). Show how register shifts completely between the two.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Formal school debate: controlled, measured language. The register is persuasive but dignified. Address is formal ('Ladies and gentlemen, teachers, honoured judges'). Sentence structures are complex and balanced. Emotion is present but restrained — argument leads, feeling follows.
2. Step 2
  Public rally speech: the register can be more passionate, direct, even urgent. Short sentences are used for impact. Repetition is more pronounced. Second-person 'you' and 'we' feature heavily. The register is still grammatically controlled but tonally much more charged.
3. Step 3
  Both share: clear position statement, rhetorical devices, direct address. What differs is the temperature, the vocabulary choices, and the ratio of emotion to logic.
4. Step 4
  Key principle: register is not just about vocabulary — it is about tone, sentence length, pronoun strategy, and the balance between logical and emotional appeal. A speech that gets the register right for its audience will always outperform one that does not.
Answer
Formal school debate opening:

Ladies and gentlemen, teachers, honoured judges. This debate asks us to consider climate change — not as a distant, abstract threat, but as the defining challenge of our generation. I shall argue today that the current pace of action is inadequate, that the consequences of inadequacy are measurable and severe, and that this school, in the decisions it makes and the values it models, has a responsibility to do more than discuss the problem.

Public rally speech opening:

They told us to wait. They said: be patient, trust the process, change is coming. We waited. We trusted. We watched the glaciers shrink and the coral bleach and the reports pile up in government offices, unread. We are done waiting. Not because we are impatient — but because the planet cannot afford our patience any longer. We are here, all of us, because waiting is over. The time for action is not coming. It is now.
Examiner tip
The contrast is stark and intentional. The school debate version uses balanced, formal syntax ('I shall argue today that...') and a measured tone. The rally speech uses short punchy sentences ('We are done waiting.'), anaphora ('We waited. We trusted.'), and an emotionally charged build to a resonant final line. Both are high quality — but they are serving different audiences, and a student who can demonstrate this flexibility is operating at Level 5 AO4.
5Five types of speech opening — and how to conclude with impact
Higher• AO4, speech, opening, conclusion, structure
Question
Task: Topic — 'Schools should ban mobile phones.' For each of the five opening types below, write a one- or two-sentence version of how the speech could begin. Then write a complete speech conclusion that demonstrates either circular structure, call to action, or a resonant final line.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Five powerful opening types: (1) Shocking statistic — a number that immediately establishes the scale of the problem; (2) Anecdote — a specific, humanising story that makes the abstract concrete; (3) Rhetorical question — a question the audience cannot answer comfortably without agreeing with you; (4) Direct challenge — a statement that challenges the audience to reconsider a comfortable assumption; (5) Quotation — an authoritative or striking quote that frames the argument.
2. Step 2
  Three conclusion techniques: (1) Circular structure — return to the opening image or phrase, giving the speech a sense of resolution; (2) Call to action — tell the audience exactly what you want them to do, vote, act, or change; (3) Resonant final line — a single sentence that lingers, using rhythm, compression, or paradox to stay in the mind.
3. Step 3
  Choosing the right opening: match the opening type to the purpose and audience. A statistic works best when the scale of a problem needs establishing. An anecdote works best when the audience needs emotional connection before logic. A challenge works best when the audience holds a comfortable assumption that your speech will disturb.
4. Step 4
  The conclusion must not simply summarise: a Level 5 conclusion does not repeat what has already been said. It crystallises the argument's emotional and logical weight into its most powerful form. Think of it as the final movement of a piece of music — it must resolve, not merely stop.
Answer
Five opening types on 'Schools should ban mobile phones':

Shocking statistic: 'In 2023, a survey of five thousand secondary school students found that forty-two percent checked their phone more than twenty times during the school day — not at break, not at lunch, but during lessons.'

Anecdote: 'Last year, a teacher I know spent eleven minutes of a forty-minute lesson managing the consequences of a single notification — a message, seen by the wrong person, at the wrong moment, in a Year 9 classroom.'

Rhetorical question: 'We ask our students to sit still, focus, think deeply, create, and remember — and then we hand them, at the start of each day, the single most sophisticated distraction device ever invented. Does that strike you as a plan?'

Direct challenge: 'If you believe a mobile phone improves a teenager's education, I would ask you to spend one week observing how a mobile phone is actually used in a secondary school classroom.'

Quotation: '"The smartphone is the cigarette of the twenty-first century," wrote one leading psychologist. I did not invent that comparison — but I believe it is time we took it seriously.'

Complete conclusion — circular structure + resonant final line:

At the start of this speech, I asked you to picture that forty-two percent — the students checking their phones more than twenty times during the school day. I want you to picture them one more time. Not as a statistic, but as individuals: each one capable of concentrating, creating, and connecting with the human beings in the room — if only we gave them the conditions in which to do so. Banning the mobile phone is not an act of punishment. It is an act of belief — belief that our students deserve to be present in their own education. Let us give them that chance.
Examiner tip
This worked example teaches three things simultaneously: the five opening types (each applicable to any topic with minor adaptation), the three conclusion techniques, and the principle that opening and conclusion form a structural unit. Notice how the conclusion echoes the statistic from the first opening type — this is circular structure in practice. The final sentence ('Let us give them that chance') is a call to action folded inside a resonant line. Level 5 AO4 markers reward exactly this kind of structural sophistication.

Model Answers — Writing Counter Argument

High-scoring sample answers for writing counter argument on the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE 4EA1 paper, with examiner-style notes mapping each response to the mark scheme and assessment objectives.

Question 1
40 marks
Write a speech arguing that young people should have more say in decisions that affect their futures. [40 marks: AO4 25 + AO5 15]
Model answer
Ladies and gentlemen, teachers, fellow students. I want to begin with a fact that I find, the more I think about it, the more extraordinary it becomes. In this country, a person of sixteen can join the armed forces and serve in a conflict zone. They can marry. They can work forty hours a week and pay full income tax. They can, in short, bear almost every obligation that adult citizenship places upon a person — but they cannot vote. They cannot choose the government that sends them to war, sets their tax rate, or decides whether the planet they will inhabit for the next seventy years is worth protecting.

I am not here to make the argument for votes at sixteen, though I believe in it passionately. I am here to make a broader argument: that young people — not some young people, not the ones who perform their engagement in ways adults find reassuring, but all young people — deserve a genuine, structural role in the decisions that will shape their futures.

Consider what those decisions are. In the next fifteen years, the governments of this world will determine the trajectory of the climate crisis. They will determine the regulation of artificial intelligence. They will set the parameters of the economy that a generation of current teenagers will enter as adults. These are not abstract issues. They are the conditions of young people's lives — and young people have no seat at the table where they are decided.

I hear the objection. I will state it fairly: that young people lack the experience, the context, the wisdom that informed decision-making requires. And I will say this in response: wisdom is not the exclusive property of age. Some of the most catastrophic decisions in recent political history were made by people with decades of experience. Experience, as it turns out, is no guarantee of good judgement — only of confidence in bad judgement.

What young people offer is not wisdom born of long experience. It is something different, and something that politics desperately needs: the perspective of those who will live longest with the consequences. The person most qualified to judge a decision about climate policy is not the seventy-year-old minister who will be dead before its effects are fully felt — it is the sixteen-year-old who will live through them.

I do not ask you to believe that young people are always right. I ask only this: that you stop assuming they are always wrong. Give them a voice. Give them a vote. Give them a seat at the table where their futures are being decided. Because those futures belong to them — not to us.
Why this scores
This speech earns Level 5 AO4 (25/25) by: (1) opening with a devastating catalogue of responsibilities that exposes a fundamental contradiction, building through anaphora ('They can... They can...') to a single withheld right; (2) explicitly steel-manning the counter-argument ('I will state it fairly') before refuting it with sophistication ('Experience... is no guarantee of good judgement — only of confidence in bad judgement'); (3) deploying tricolon ('climate crisis... artificial intelligence... economy') for structural emphasis; (4) maintaining a formal-but-passionate register throughout with no register drift; (5) ending with a call to action that uses rule of three and direct address. AO5 is secured through varied sentence lengths, complex syntax, precise vocabulary, and controlled punctuation throughout.
Question 2
40 marks
Write a speech persuading your school to adopt a four-day school week. [40 marks: AO4 25 + AO5 15]
Model answer
Good morning, everyone. I would like to begin with an experiment. I want you to think about the best piece of work you have produced this year — the essay you were proudest of, the project that came together, the moment when you understood something you had not understood before. Now I want you to think about when it happened. Was it the last lesson on a Friday afternoon, after five days of six-hour school days? Or was it after a rest? After space to think? After your mind had had a chance to consolidate what it had been absorbing?

I know what the answer is. And so do you. Which is why I am standing here today to propose something that, to some of you, may sound radical — but which the evidence, and our own experience, strongly supports. This school should move to a four-day week.

I want to be precise about what this means, because I know the first instinct will be to dismiss it as a desire for more holiday. It is not. A four-day school week — as implemented in districts across the United States, and trialled with positive results in schools in Iceland and the UK — involves either slightly longer school days or a restructuring of curriculum time. It does not mean less learning. It means better learning.

The research from these trials is consistent. Students attend more regularly, because fatigue-related absence falls. They perform at least as well in formal assessments, and in many studies, better. Teachers report higher job satisfaction, which correlates directly with teaching quality. Anxiety levels, as measured in student wellbeing surveys, decrease significantly.

I anticipate the objection about childcare and parental working patterns. It is a serious objection and it deserves a serious answer. A phased introduction, piloted first in the sixth form or upper school, with proper consultation with parents and staff, would address this. We are not proposing to implement this on Monday. We are proposing that this school has the courage to consider it.

The world our students will graduate into rewards adaptability, creativity, and the ability to think deeply. Those qualities do not flourish in exhaustion. Give us the rest we need, and we will give you the results you want.

Thank you.
Why this scores
This speech earns Level 5 AO4 by: (1) opening with an interactive, second-person hook that draws the audience into a reflective experiment before revealing the thesis; (2) clearly stating the position ('This school should move to a four-day week') in plain, confident language; (3) pre-empting and fairly acknowledging the strongest objection (childcare) before offering a specific, credible rebuttal; (4) using evidence (US districts, Iceland, UK trials) for authority without over-claiming; (5) ending with a compressed, rhetorical final sentence that uses chiasmus ('Give us the rest... we will give you the results') for rhythmic memorability. The register is consistently formal and persuasive without being aggressive.
Question 3
40 marks
Write a speech arguing against the use of social media by under-16s. [40 marks: AO4 25 + AO5 15]
Model answer
Ladies and gentlemen. In 2023, the US Surgeon General — one of the most senior public health officials in the world — called for health warnings to be placed on social media platforms, comparable to the warnings on cigarettes. Not a digital literacy lesson. Not a parental guidance note. A health warning. On the same level as tobacco. I want us to sit with that for a moment before we decide whether this debate matters.

I am going to argue that social media, as currently designed and deployed, is causing measurable, documented harm to children under the age of sixteen — and that banning its use by this age group is not an authoritarian overreach but a proportionate public health response to a crisis we have, for too long, dismissed as a parenting problem rather than a structural one.

The evidence is not ambiguous. Since 2012 — the year smartphone ownership became widespread among teenagers — rates of depression and anxiety in adolescent girls have risen sharply in every country where data has been collected. Not in all countries equally — the rise is most pronounced in countries with the highest smartphone penetration. The correlation is striking. The mechanism — social comparison, exposure to curated images of unachievable lives, harassment that follows you to bed at night because your phone is on your bedside table — is well understood.

I know what you are thinking. You are thinking: correlation is not causation. You are right. But the standard of proof we are applying to social media would never have been applied to cigarettes, or lead in petrol, or asbestos. At some point, the accumulating evidence demands a precautionary response. That point has passed.

I hear also the argument that teenagers will find a way around any ban — that restrictions are unenforceable and therefore pointless. I reject this for two reasons. First, age verification technology has advanced significantly and is already being trialled. Second, even imperfect bans change the norm. Wearing a seatbelt was once optional. Smoking in restaurants was once permitted. The law does not only regulate — it shapes culture. A ban on social media for under-16s sends a message: that we take their mental health seriously enough to act.

This is not about censorship. It is not about distrusting young people. It is about refusing to allow the most powerful attention-capture technology ever developed to be aimed, without restriction, at children whose brains are still developing. That is not a culture war. That is child protection.
Why this scores
This speech earns Level 5 AO4 by: (1) opening with a devastating, credible statistic (US Surgeon General's warning) that immediately establishes the argument's seriousness; (2) explicitly addressing and fairly presenting two counter-arguments (correlation vs causation; enforceability) before dismantling each; (3) using historical analogy (cigarettes, lead, asbestos, seatbelts) for rhetorical authority; (4) maintaining a formal, authoritative register consistently; (5) ending with a pair of short declarative sentences ('That is not a culture war. That is child protection.') that deliver the argument's moral weight in compressed form. AO5 is demonstrated through complex syntax, precise vocabulary, accurate punctuation, and controlled variation in sentence length.
Question 4
40 marks
Examiner commentary: what distinguishes a Level 3 response from a Level 5 response in speech writing? [40 marks: AO4 25 + AO5 15]
Model answer
EXAMINER COMMENTARY: LEVEL 3 vs LEVEL 5 IN SPEECH WRITING

The following commentary uses two responses to the same task — 'Write a speech arguing that homework should be abolished' — to illustrate what separates Level 3 (13-16/25 AO4) from Level 5 (21-25/25 AO4).

LEVEL 3 RESPONSE — ANNOTATED

"Good morning everyone. Today I am going to talk about homework and why I think it should be abolished. Homework takes up a lot of time and students are already tired after school. Studies show that homework doesn't help much. Also it is unfair because some students have more help at home than others. In conclusion, I think homework should be abolished because it is not worth it."

EXAMINER NOTES ON LEVEL 3: — 'Good morning everyone' is a correct opening, but generic. [Form: present, not distinguished] — 'I am going to talk about' is weak — tell, don't announce. Level 5 never announces what it will do; it does it. — 'Studies show' — which studies? Vague evidence undermines authority. — 'Also' as a connector is a sign of underdeveloped structural thinking. — 'In conclusion, I think' — the conclusion restates the introduction without adding rhetorical weight. — No rhetorical devices used. No counter-argument addressed. No call to action. — AO5: simple sentence structures throughout; limited vocabulary; no variation in sentence length.

LEVEL 5 RESPONSE — ANNOTATED

"Ladies and gentlemen, I want to tell you something that no one in this debate has yet said aloud: homework does not work. Not 'homework could be improved'. Not 'homework needs better resourcing'. Homework — as an institution, as a habit, as an unexamined assumption that has sat at the heart of education for a century — does not work. [Anaphora; tricolon; bold declarative thesis] A 2019 OECD study of over half a million students found that beyond two hours of homework per week, additional hours produce no measurable gain in academic performance — and in some studies, produce a measurable decline. [Specific evidence — credible and precise] I know you will say: but the discipline of completing homework teaches important habits. To which I say: so does cooking dinner, caring for a younger sibling, or holding down a part-time job — all of which the homework-laden student does not have time for. [Steel-man counter-argument; dismantled with sharp alternatives] Ladies and gentlemen, we are not here to defend an institution. We are here to defend the children inside it." [Circular address; resonant final line]

EXAMINER NOTES ON LEVEL 5: — Opening immediately establishes a bold, specific position. — Anaphora ('Not... Not...') creates rhythm and builds to the thesis. — Evidence is specific (OECD, 2019, half a million students) — plausible and authoritative. — Counter-argument is given its fairest form ('the discipline of completing homework') before a sharp, concrete rebuttal. — Final sentence is a resonant, memorable close that crystallises the argument's moral weight. — AO5: varied sentence lengths (from two words to twenty-five); complex syntax; rhetorical punctuation (em dash, semicolon); precise vocabulary.

SUMMARY: THE FIVE DIFFERENCES

SPECIFICITY OF EVIDENCE: Level 5 uses named studies, institutions, or statistics. Level 3 says 'studies show'.

RHETORICAL DEVICES: Level 5 uses anaphora, tricolon, rhetorical question, and direct address structurally. Level 3 may attempt one device awkwardly.

COUNTER-ARGUMENT: Level 5 always addresses and rebuts the strongest opposing view. Level 3 ignores it.

CONCLUSION: Level 5 ends with a resonant final line or call to action. Level 3 ends with 'In conclusion, I think...'.

SENTENCE VARIETY (AO5): Level 5 varies sentence length consciously for effect. Level 3 uses uniformly simple or compound sentences.
Why this scores
This model answer serves as an examiner commentary and teaching resource. It should be used to help students self-assess and peer-assess by providing the specific criteria that differentiate performance bands. The annotated examples are deliberately contrasted to make the differences concrete and transferable. Students should be able to identify which band their own work falls into using this commentary, and identify one specific improvement to make.

Key Definitions and Keywords — Writing Counter Argument

Definitions to memorise and the exact keywords mark schemes credit for writing counter argument answers — sharpened from recent examiner reports for the 2026 Pearson Edexcel International GCSE 4EA1 sitting.

Anaphora
Examiner keyword
The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive sentences or clauses. Creates rhythmic insistence and emotional power. One of the most effective rhetorical devices in speech-writing.
Example
'We will fight on the beaches, we will fight on the landing grounds, we will fight in the fields' (Churchill). Each repeated 'we will fight' builds cumulative determination.
Tricolon (rule of three)
Examiner keyword
Three grammatically parallel words, phrases, or clauses used in succession. The third item typically lands with the most weight. Creates rhythm, completeness, and memorability.
Example
'We came, we saw, we conquered' (Caesar). In speech writing: 'This affects our health, our relationships, and our future.'
Direct address (speech)
Examiner keyword
Speaking directly to the audience using second-person pronouns ('you', 'your') or audience address ('ladies and gentlemen'). Creates intimacy, implicates the audience in the argument, and is a required convention of speech form.
Example
'You have a choice today. You can sit in silence or you can make your voice heard.'
Rhetorical question
Examiner keyword
A question asked for persuasive effect, not to receive an answer. Forces the audience to arrive at the speaker's conclusion themselves — which is more persuasive than stating it directly.
Example
'If not us, who? If not now, when?' — each question implies an obvious answer that supports the speaker's position.
Counter-argument and rebuttal
Acknowledging the opposing viewpoint before systematically dismantling it. Shows intellectual confidence and is expected at Level 4-5. The steel-man technique — presenting the strongest version of the opposing view before refuting it — is the most sophisticated form.
Example
'The strongest argument for school uniform is that it reduces visible inequality. I accept this. What it does not do is remove inequality — it conceals it.'
Call to action
The final instruction to the audience — what you want them to do, think, or feel as a result of the speech. Required at the conclusion of a persuasive speech.
Example
'I urge you to vote in favour of this motion.' / 'Go home tonight and make one change.' / 'Do not leave this hall without committing to act.'

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions — Writing Counter Argument

The traps other students keep falling into on writing counter argument questions — taken from recent Pearson Edexcel International GCSE 4EA1 examiner reports and mark schemes — and how to avoid them.

✕Forgetting to address the audience at the start
Pearson 4EA1 Examiner Reports
Why it happens
Students begin writing immediately without establishing the speech convention.
How to avoid it
'Ladies and gentlemen', 'Good morning', 'Fellow students and honoured judges' — one of these must appear in the first line. This is a form convention worth marks and takes two seconds.
✕Forcing rhetorical devices awkwardly into the text
Why it happens
Students know they need devices and insert them regardless of whether they fit, producing clunky, unnatural prose.
How to avoid it
Rhetorical devices should enhance meaning, not be bolted on. If an anaphora doesn't arise naturally, try a different device. The skill is knowing which device serves the argument at each moment — not collecting as many as possible.
✕Ignoring the counter-argument entirely
Why it happens
Students focus only on their own side and treat any acknowledgement of the other side as weakness.
How to avoid it
Addressing the counter-argument is a sign of strength, not weakness. One paragraph — 'I know some will argue...' followed by a clear rebuttal — signals to the examiner that you are a confident, sophisticated writer. Level 5 responses almost always include this.

Practice questions

Exam-style questions with step-by-step worked solutions. Try one before checking the method.

Past paper style quiz

Get a report showing which sub-topics you've nailed and which ones still need work.