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. Also, don’t forget to turn on the subtitles  

for this video if you need them! All our videos  have English subtitles. You can turn them on now:  

just click the ‘CC’ button in the  bottom right of the video player.

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!