Stop Saying I agree Ways to Agree in English Level Up Your English Conversation
Hi, I’m Katie. Welcome to Oxford Online English!
Learning English takes a lot of time and work.
Do you agree? If so, what can you say?
Actually, you could use very simple language.
You could just say ‘yes’, or even say nothing, and
just nod your head! You could say ‘I agree’. But,
did you know that there are many other phrases you
can use to show how much or how little you agree?
This video is part of our ‘Level Up’ series,
where you can learn a wide range of language
to level up your everyday conversational
English. Check out the other videos in
this series on YouTube or our website.
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So, let’s get going!
I loved Amanda’s casserole
tonight. It was so good!
I know, right! It was so good. I was completely
full, and I still couldn’t stop eating.
I think she should make it for the potluck
next month. It’ll be a favourite, for sure!
I’m with you on that one. Everyone will love it!
I’ll send her a text to tell
her how much we liked it.
Notice that here neither person used the word
‘agree’, yet it’s clear that they do agree.
You can say ‘I know’ or ‘I know, right?’ to
express agreement. Tone is important here;
you need to sound enthusiastic
when using this phrase.
If you say ‘I know, right’
, then it doesn’t work. But,
with correct intonation: ‘I know, right?’
it works.
You heard one more phrase to express
agreement here. Do you remember?
You heard ‘I’m with you on that one.’ ‘I’m with
you’ is another way to say ‘I agree with you.’
It’s slightly more conversational; you
probably wouldn’t use it in writing,
and definitely not in formal writing.
Goodness, it’s windy today!
You’re telling me!
I almost lost my hat this afternoon.
Come on, we’d better go inside and warm up.
Great minds think alike! I could sure
do with a hot cup of tea right now.
Here’s a phrase you heard, but there’s a mistake…
Do you remember the correct phrase?
It was: ‘you’re telling me!’
This shows that you completely agree.
But that’s not the only form of agreement
that popped up in that conversation.
Did you hear the other one?
You heard: ‘great minds think alike’.
Consider this for a moment.
What do you think it means?
Well, in the literal sense it means ‘we’re both
really clever’ but it’s just a humorous way to say
that you’ve both reached the same conclusion.
It’s a light-hearted saying, so you
can try it out with your friends.
I can’t believe Sue cut her hair so short!
Yes! I was thinking the same thing!
It’s weird seeing her without long hair.
It‘s a big change.
You can say that again!
I get a shock every time I see her.
I must say though, she pulls off the
look. What do you think?
Without a doubt.
The first phrase you heard here was
‘I was thinking the same thing.’
There are other variations on this, like ‘I was
thinking the same’ or ‘I had the same thought.’
Did you also notice the phrase ‘you can
say that again’? Does it really mean you
want the person to repeat what they’ve just
said? Of course not. You don’t really want
the other person to repeat the words; it’s just
an informal way to say that you totally agree.
Similarly, ‘without a doubt’
expresses complete agreement.
You can also say ‘no doubt’,
which has a similar idea.
But what if there is a doubt in your mind?
What if the argument is factually correct … but
you don’t particularly like it? What to say then?
I don’t think you should take that mountain trip
this weekend. The weather forecast is predicting
heavy snow. You could get stuck up there.
I’ve been looking forward to it for
weeks! But, I guess you’re right…
I know, it’s a shame. But it’s
really too dangerous. The roads get too
slippery and visibility’s a problem.
I’m really disappointed. It
would’ve been so nice to get away.
Well, there’s always next month.
I suppose so. The family will be so disappointed.
Could you tell from that
conversation that I agreed with Rich
but also expressed my disappointment?
You can use ‘I guess you’re right’ and
‘I suppose so’ when you agree that someone is
right, but you’re not happy with the situation.
You can use short versions of these,
too: ‘I suppose’ and ‘I guess’.
Can you think of such an
example from your own life?
Maybe it’s time to replace those worn tyres on
your car? Or to start the exercise routine you’ve
been talking about for months? Maybe it’s time
to make that phone call you promised you would
but don’t really want to make? If someone
suggests you do these things, you might say
‘I suppose so’. This shows that you accept
the point, but you’re not excited about it.
Hey, should we go see that
new action movie tonight?
Good idea! We haven’t been
to the movies in a while.
Do you think we should invite Leanne and
Luke to come along? I think they’ll enjoy it.
Sure, I don’t see why not.
It’s on at six and eight. Shall we
do the eight o’clock one?
Fine by me!
Just a reminder: most of the ways
you’re learning in this lesson to agree
don’t use the word ‘agree’ at all! Here,
you heard ‘good idea’. In a discussion,
you can say ‘good point’ to
agree with what someone says.
If someone makes a suggestion, you can agree
using the phrase ‘I don’t see why not’ or
‘fine by me’. These are neutral phrases,
which don’t express much enthusiasm. That doesn’t
mean that you’re unenthusiastic or unhappy,
just that you’re accepting someone else’s idea without
expressing much emotion one way or the other.
Will you go to Dan’s party with me this weekend?
Absolutely! Dan always throws the best parties in
town.
Exactly! He’s a great host, too.
For sure! He really knows how to entertain.
Here, you heard three short ways to agree
enthusiastically. Can you remember all three?
You heard ‘absolutely!’, ‘exactly!’ and ‘for
sure!’ These are good, simple ways to show
that you agree one hundred per
cent with what you’ve heard.
I think AI will take over most jobs
in the future, and teachers will be
the first to go. What do you think?
Mmm… I agree with you up to a point;
I do think AI will cause job losses, but I don’t
think teachers will be replaced any time soon.
Why do you say that?
I just think other jobs are easier to automate.
Teaching’s all about human contact.
You’ve got a point there… Maybe
teaching as a profession is safe, but surely some
aspects of it will be taken over by technology.
Here, the speakers partly agreed with each other.
This is common: sometimes, you may agree with
some of what’s being said but not all of it.
A good phrase to express this is
‘I agree with you up to a point’.
You could also use ‘you’ve
got a point there but …’
This is a good way to acknowledge the other
person’s point of view while also showing
that your perspective is at least slightly
different. This is a useful tactic for business
and negotiations: you try to find common ground
first and then address the points of disagreement.
Talking of business, which of
the phrases you’ve learned so far
are more appropriate in formal settings,
say with a colleague or a client?
What about ‘Great minds think alike?’ or ‘you’re
telling me’? Well, like many things it depends
on the context and the tone. In general,
netural phrases like ‘I agree with you’,
‘I’m in agreement’ or just ‘agreed’ will
likely be better in a business meeting.
Phrases such as ‘for sure’ and ‘you can say
that again’ are better for social situations.
Let’s look at some more informal ways to agree
as these words and phrases will make
you sound natural in your speech.
Hey! Are we still going to the beach this weekend?
You betcha! It’s going to be so much fun!
I’m packing extra sunscreen as I don’t
want to make the same mistake as last year.
Ditto! My skin can’t handle too much sun either.
Oh, and bring a lot of fluids – you don’t
want to get dehydrated out there!
Okey-dokey, I’ll make sure to do that.
Do you think it would be OK to answer
your boss with, ‘You betcha?’ Or, ‘ditto?’
Probably not – they’re too casual,
although of course it depends on your boss!
The phrases from the dialogue
you just heard are very informal
and should probably be avoided
in a professional environment.
‘You betcha’ is a slangy way to agree.
‘Betcha’ is a variant of the word ‘bet’ – you
can also say ‘you bet’ with the same meaning.
‘Ditto’ is another way to say, ‘me too’
or ‘same here’. They are quick and natural
responses in a casual conversation.
What about okey-dokey? It’s a light-hearted
form of ‘okay’ or ‘alright’ that is used both
in British- and American English. However, keep
in mind that this one is a little old fashioned.
So, now you’ve seen many
different phrases to agree.
Let’s see what you can remember! Try to complete
some of the phrases from the lesson. Pause the
video and see if you can complete them all.
How did you do? Ready to see the answers?
How did you do? So, the next time you’re having a conversation in English and you want to agree with someone,
try using one of these phrases.
I hope you enjoyed the class. Thanks for watching!
See you next time!