Admittedly, This Is Complicated
Sentence adverbials and stance markers. Jess writes an editorial about independent business survival and opens by admitting her own bias — because she trusts the reader more than she trusts the appearance of neutrality.
📖 Reading: The Editorial
Jess had been asked to write an editorial on independent business survival.
"Admittedly," she began, "I have a personal connection to this story. Frankly, that connection makes me a biased observer."
"Arguably, however, personal knowledge is also a form of evidence. Supposedly neutral observers often miss what proximity reveals."
"Remarkably, Café Colibri has survived — and more than survived. It has, against considerable odds, become a city institution."
"Inevitably, questions arise about whether its success can be replicated. The honest answer is: probably not. Individual success stories are, by definition, exceptional."
"Understandably, this raises difficult questions for policy-makers who are considering how to support the broader sector."
"Interestingly, the café's community function — its role as a social infrastructure — has received less attention than its commercial success."
"Curiously, the very thing that makes Café Colibri exceptional — its genuine human warmth — is the thing least amenable to policy intervention."
"What can policy do, then? Admittedly, quite little about the warmth. Considerably more about the conditions — rent, regulation, support."
"Ultimately, the question is not whether places like Café Colibri should survive, but whether we have the collective will to create conditions in which they can."
🔑 Vocabulary Box
Eight key words from this lesson.
| Word | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| proximity | Nearness in space or relationship | n. — Proximity reveals what distance misses. |
| replicate | To make an exact copy of; to repeat a process or result | v. — Can success be replicated? |
| institution | An established organisation or — figuratively — a beloved fixture | n. — It has become a city institution. |
| amenable | Open to suggestion; responsive to change or influence | adj. — Warmth is not amenable to policy. |
| intervention | Action taken to change a situation or outcome | n. — Policy intervention has limits. |
| infrastructure | Basic systems and structures needed for an organisation or society | n. — The café functions as social infrastructure. |
| attitudinal | Relating to attitude — how the speaker views something | adj. — 'Frankly' and 'remarkably' are attitudinal adverbials. |
| epistemic | Relating to knowledge or certainty — how confident the speaker is | adj. — 'Reportedly' and 'allegedly' are epistemic adverbials. |
📚 Key Verbs & Structures in This Lesson | |
admittedly | Admittedly, I am a biased observer. |
arguably / remarkably / curiously | Arguably, this matters more than the coffee. |
frankly / honestly / interestingly | Frankly, the data is inconclusive. |
inevitably / understandably / ultimately | Ultimately, the question is about political will. |
📚 Grammar Focus
📚 Types of Sentence Adverbials | |
Attitudinal (speaker's feeling) | Remarkably / Curiously / Interestingly / Understandably |
Epistemic (certainty/knowledge) | Admittedly / Reportedly / Arguably / Supposedly |
Evaluative (judgment) | Frankly / Honestly / Predictably / Inevitably |
Summative (concluding) | Ultimately / In short / Overall / All in all |
Position in the Sentence
📚 Position in the Sentence | |
Sentence-initial | Admittedly, this is complicated. |
Mid-position | The café has, remarkably, survived. |
End position (spoken) | It worked out, frankly. |
Effect | Position affects where the emphasis falls. |
Choosing the Right Adverbial
📚 Choosing the Right Adverbial | |
Use admittedly | When conceding a point you could have avoided. |
Use arguably | When introducing a debatable claim. |
Use remarkably | When expressing surprise or admiration. |
Use ultimately | When reaching a key conclusion or essential point. |
Use frankly | When being unusually direct — creates intimacy with reader. |
🎭 Dialogue: How Do You Really Feel?
Leo asks Jess whether admitting her bias weakens her editorial. Jess argues the opposite: it's the supposedly neutral observer you can't trust.
Jess, your editorial was brilliant. But you said you were biased.
Admittedly, yes. Frankly, I couldn't pretend otherwise.
Does that reduce your credibility?
Arguably not — if you acknowledge it. The problem is the supposedly neutral observer who isn't.
Interestingly, that's what Elena says about business consultants.
Remarkably on-brand for her. What did she say?
"Curiously, the people who say they have no skin in the game usually have the most."
Ultimately, she's right. Ultimately, everyone is biased. The question is whether you're honest about it.
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
Why does Jess acknowledge she is a biased observer?
What does Jess say personal knowledge can offer?
What aspect of the café's success does Jess say gets less attention?
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
Best adverbial: '___, I should have checked the data more carefully.'
Best adverbial: '___, price rises will follow the expansion.'
Best adverbial: '___, this is a question about values, not economics.'
🎭 Now It's Your Turn — Role Play
Practice with a partner. Use the dialogue as a model and extend it.
- Student A: Write a 6-sentence opinion on a topic you care about. Use NO stance adverbials — just plain statements.
- Student B: Read it back and insert appropriate stance adverbials (admittedly / remarkably / frankly / arguably / inevitably / ultimately).
- Discuss: did the adverbials change the meaning? The tone? The credibility?
- Then swap. This is about developing conscious voice in writing.