Skill4: Agreeing and disagreeing

I. Agreeing

In a discussion, you may agree with the points of view of other candidates. You should express your agreement clearly and explain your opinion. The following expressions will help you state your agreement. Try not to repeat a single expression too many times.

(i) Basic expressions

  • I agree with you.
  • I see your point.
  • I absolutely agree with you.
  • I think you are correct.
  • So do I.

(ii) Advanced expressions

  • I could not agree more.
  • That is a brilliant idea!
  • That makes very much sense to me.
  • That is exactly what I think.
  • I am of the same opinion.

Examples:

1. A: I don’t think we should hike today. I heard on the radio there could be heavy rain in the area.

B: I absolutely agree with you. Hiking in the rain is very dangerous.

2. A: Dad found food in this new restaurant delicious, Mum.

B: So do I. We actually went there together yesterday.

3. A: Let’s go to OceanPark this weekend.

B: That is a brilliant idea!

4. A: The new Colin Firth movie is fantastic. It’s both funny and exciting.

B: I could not agree more. He is the best.

II. Disagreeing

In a discussion, you may disagree with the points of view of other candidates. You should express your disagreement clearly and explain your opinion. The following expressions will help you state your disagreement. Try not to repeat a single expression too many times.

(i) Basic expressions

  • I do not agree with you.
  • I have to disagree with you on this.
  • I’m not quite sure about that.
  • That is not entirely true.
  • The problem is that ...
  • I don’t think so.

(ii) Advanced expressions

  • I’m sorry but that does not seem like a practical idea.
  • I have a slightly different view on that.
  • That is not necessarily so.
  • That won’t work because...
  • Well, I think that...
  • I am afraid I have to disagree with you.

Examples:

1. A: I think we should abolish school uniforms. I would love to wear casual clothes to school instead.

B: I do not agree with you. School uniform is our collective identity and representation of our school, so we should wear it.

2. A: The new Math textbook is a good one. There are so many colorful pictures on every chapter.

B: I don’t think so. I found the pictures quite distracting and they are not related to the subject.

3. A: We should not use any plastic bag because it will pollute our environment.

B: That won’t work because where else can people put the stuff they buy from the wet market? Plastic bags are unavoidable.

4: A: I don’t think Physics is useful at all.

B: I have a slightly different view on that. Physics is very important in engineering and astronomy.

III. Giving suggestions after disagreeing.

You should not just stop at disagreeing with other candidates. You should elaborate on your views through giving suggestions to them. This is essential because it can continue the discussion as well as encourage other candidates to make further contributions.

Common expressions:

  • I think we should... instead of...
  • Wouldn’t it be better if...?
  • I think of another solution to this.
  • It will be more practical if..., don’t you think?

Examples:

1. A: So what do you think we can do now if a high list price is not feasible?

B: Wouldn’t it be better if we lower our production cost a bit? Then we can sell the shirt for a lower price.

2. A: I cannot agree with you on this.

B: I understand that my idea is a bit bizarre but I think we should try new elements in our show instead of follow the conventions. That will attract more audience.

3. A: We seem quite stuck after your counter-argument. What should we do now?

B: I think of another solution to this. Let me draw it down.

Practice Exercise

Exercise 1 (Basic expressions)

Fill in the blanks with the basic expressions of agreeing and disagreeing in the box.

Annie: I don’t think I want tocontinue studying. I want to be in a band.

Chloe: (1) ______You won’t earn much money with that career in Hong Kong.

Annie: (2) ______You see, there’re so many bands in Hong Kong. And they are doing just fine.

Chloe: (3) ______These bands could not even stay around for two years. People care more about solo artists, Annie.

Annie: (4) ______A lot of my friends listen to bands. And I think a girl in a band is a great idea. It surprises people.

Chloe: (5) ______But how about your Law degree, Annie? You are wasting years of studying and your parents’ money!

Annie: (6) ______But I don’t like being a lawyer. My passion is music.

Chloe: Okay. (7) ______Dream is important too, but, you should think carefully. What about finishing your university first then join a band later?

Exercise 2 (Advanced expressions)

Fill in the blank with advanced expressions of agreeing or disagreeing.

1. A: These people looked horrible. Why did they dress like that?

B: ______they looked absolutely fantastic!

2. A: I don’t think you should listen to this kind of music. These singers look like gangsters.

B: ______, Mum. This is rap music. That’s just the style of the singers.

3. A: Maybe we should go to see Dayo Wong’s show next month.

B: ______. I have been waiting for this show for ages.

4. A: I don’t think they should give him the Grammy award. His album is really not that remarkable.

B: ______. But you know the Grammys has always paid attention to those commercialized artists. No one cares about indie music these days.

5. A: I heard there’s a huge sale at Cool Jeans shops right now.

B: ______. You only get a 5% discount for spending more than $1,000!

6. A: I think we should not use exams to judge the ability of a person.

B: ______. If there is no exam, nobody will study and students will not learn anything.

Exercise 3

Write down the response and explanations for the cases below.

Case 1: Should Hong Kong allow children to be homeschooled?

  • Agreeing

Response: ______

Explanation:_______

______

  • Disagreeing

Response: ______

Explanation: ______

______

Case 2: Should we ban the sales of cigarettes in Hong Kong?

  • Agreeing

Response: ______

Explanation: _______

______

  • Disagreeing

Response: ______

Explanation: _______

______

Case 3: Should we remove Liberal Studies from the core subjects in the DSE Exam?

  • Agreeing

Response: ______

Explanation: _______

______

  • Disagreeing

Response: ______

Explanation: _______

______

Exercise 4

Complete the following flow charts with suitable expressions of agreeing or disagreeing.


Practice Paper



Practice 1

Part A Group Interaction

You will be given 10 minutes to prepare. The time allowed for the group interaction is 8 minutes (or 6 minutes for a group of 3 candidates). You may make notes on the notecard provided and refer to your note during the discussion.

Mrs Chan and Mrs Wong are talking about their children’s language education:

As a group, discuss whether toddlers should be taught several languages at a time. You may want to talk about:

  • the effects of different languages on toddlers’ communication and brain development
  • toddlers’ ability to learn several languages at the same time
  • the usefulness of different languages at toddlers’ age
  • anything else you think is important

Part B Individual Response

The examiner will ask you one or more questions based on Part A. You will have up to one minute to respond.



Answer Key



Exercise 1 (Basic Expressions)

1. I don’t think that’s a good idea.

2. No way!

3. Are you sure?

4. That’s not true!

5. Well, you can say that.

6. You are right.

7. I agree with you on this.

Exercise 2 (Advanced Expressions)

1. Well, I think that

2. I am afraid I have to disagree with you

3. That is exactly what I think

4. I am of the same opinion

5. That is not necessarily so

6. I have a different view on that.

Exercise 3

Case 1

  • Agreeing

Response: Yes, absolutely!

Explanation: The important point is education so it doesn’t matter where the children are taught.

  • Disagreeing

Response: I don’t think this is a good idea.

Explanation: Homeschooling will prevent children form making friends and they may become shy and isolated from the society.

Case 2

  • Agreeing

Response: I totally agree with you.

Explanation: Smoking can kill the smokers as well as the second-hand smokers.

  • Disagreeing

Response: I disagree with you.

Explanation: It’s people’s own choice. Why should wines be legal and cigarettes illegal?

Case 3

  • Agreeing

Response: I could not agree more.

Explanation: I think there is too much to study for this subject.

  • Disagreeing

Response: I don’t think so.

Explanation: It’s a very useful and meaningful subject.

Exercise 4

(1) That is exactly what I think.

(2) That is not entirely true.

(3) I am of the same opinion.

(4) Well, the problem is that

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