Learn more about agreeing in informal conversations in English.
When you think somebody is correct, or if you think their idea is a good idea, you should tell them you agree with them! Of course, it is o.k. To disagree too, but if you want to know more about that you should read our disagree blog. In this blog we will talk about how to agree with someone in English.
On our Instagram we gave you lots of examples of agreeing and disagreeing in conversations – check it out! There is also a mini quiz you can take there to see how well you understand the phrases.
This video is a dialogue between Caitlin and Helen (and special cat guest Carlin! 🐱) in which we practice an agreeing dialogue. Listen and read along and then practice the conversation with a friend. Make sure you listen closely for correct pronunciation!
Transcript
A: Helen, have you met my cat Carlin?
B: Oh my gosh, hi Carlin! I think cats are so cool.
A: That’s what I think too, I love cats!
B: You could say that again. I wish I had a cat.
A: You should get one!
B: I definitely will soon.
ESL phrases for agreeing
To start the conversation you need to introduce your idea or your opinion. Here are five ways to introduce your idea in English:
- In my opinion…
- I think…
- I believe…
- I’d say that…
- If you ask me…
All of these expressions should be followed by a noun or a gerund. For example:
In my opinion cats are the best.
In my opinion petting cats is the best.
But how do you decide which one to use?
- ‘I think’ is the most casual and everyday phrase
- ‘If you ask me’ is quite formal and not used very often in regular conversation.
- The other three are somewhere in the middle.
After you listen to someone else’s idea you need to tell them you agree! (Remember, if you want to know more about disagreeing – check here) Here are five examples of how to agree with someone in English:
- I agree!
- You’re right!
- Exactly!
- You could say that again!
- That’s what I think too.
These are all stand alone expressions. That means you don’t need to follow them with any other words.
The most casual of these expressions is ‘exactly’ you should use this with friends when they something that you think is a great idea!
‘You could say that again!’ and ‘That’s what I think too.’ are both more formal phrases and used less often in casual english conversation.
Practice More
The best way to practice phrases like these is to have a conversation with a real person. Do you have some friends you can practice English with? Or family members who you can chat to? If not, book a conversation lesson and we can help you make sure you are using the agreeing phrases correctly and that your pronunciation is excellent.
It is also great to practice at home. So, listen to the video again and repeat the words on your own. Then, when you’re ready, download this agreeing worksheet with agreeing sentence examples and fill it out at home. Let us know in the comment how it goes and if you were confused by any of the questions! Good luck!
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If you want more help with agreeing in English and to practice your agreeing dialogue, book a consultation! We can help you build your vocabulary, learn even more agreement and disagreement examples, and perfect your pronunciation. Hope to see you soon!