What a “concessive” sentence is

These structures are called “concesivas”. They often include expressions such as “Aunque…” or “A pesar de que…”. They show that there is a limitation or obstacle that might seem like it would prevent something from happening, but in the end it doesn’t stop it.

In other words, concessive sentences express an obstacle, real or possible, to carrying out an action in the past, present or future.

Examples with “aunque” to get the idea quickly

Let’s make it clearer with examples:

“Aunque llueva, creo que deberíamos ir a la plaza”.
“Aunque alquilar la casa como destino vacacional puede traernos mucho más dinero, creo que no deberíamos decantarnos por esta opción”.

Other very useful concessives: “por más que”, “por mucho que”, “por muy que”

Now that you get the idea, here are three more concessive structures that also use subjunctive: “Por más que…”, “Por mucho que…” and “Por muy que…”. In all three cases, they are followed by subjunctive, and then you normally continue the sentence with a second part in indicative.

So, when you’re debating in the exam, you can use them to keep the conversation flowing, for example:

“Por más que me insista, no va a lograr convencerme”.
“Por más fácil que parezca, creo que no va a ser rentable”.

Extra trick: “por más que” can also be followed by a noun

One very useful detail: after “Por más que…”, you can also use a noun, not only a verb.

“Por más dinero que traiga esta opción, creo que no deberíamos elegirla”.

This structure is great because it lets you use the subjunctive naturally, whether the next element is a verb, a noun, or even an adjective.

When to use “por muy que”

“Por muy que…” works similarly, but it can only go before an adjective or an adverb.

“Por muy baja que sea la montaña, no creo que pueda subirla”.

When to use “por mucho que”

With “Por mucho que…”, you can’t use adjectives or adverbs. You can only use nouns or verbs. For example:

“Por mucho dinero que nos traiga alquilar la casa, no creo que sea buena idea hacerlo”.

To finish: practise and you’ll gain confidence

Easy, right? Practise these structures with the subjunctive and you’ll see that they help you use it in a very practical way, so you can aim for your apto in the exam and speak Spanish with more confidence.

If you want more strategies and useful structures for DELE C1

If you want to learn more strategies and ready-to-use structures, you’ll find this (and more) in my DELE C1 online course. Join here: https://c1.aporeldele.com/

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