№ | Approval | Disapproval |
---|---|---|
1 | Excellent! | Awful |
2 | Fantastic | How very strange! |
3 | Fine | No wonder |
4 | First – rate! | Pity! |
5 | Good, isn’t it? | That’s a pity! |
6 | Magnificent | What a pity! |
7 | Nice, isn’t it? | What a shame! |
8 | Quite! | What nonsense! |
9 | Right! | |
10 | Splendid! | |
11 | That’s a good idea! | |
12 | That’s right. | |
13 | Well yes | |
14 | Wonderful! | |
15 | Yes, I see | |
16 | Yes, very likely. |
In agreeing with an unfavourable opinion, you may wish to qualify your agreement with an expression of regret, etc.
№ | expression of regret | expression |
---|---|---|
1 | His speech was boring | Yes, I am afraid it was. |
2 | His speech was boring | I have to agree that it was. |
3 | His speech was boring | I must say I found it so. |
Notice that you need to be very polite when disagreeing with someone in English – even someone you know quite well.
When you deny or contradict what someone else has stated, the effect is often impolite, unless the denial is qualified in some way.
You can qualify it by an apology or by adjusting to the speaker’s point of view:
English is a difficult language to learn.
- I am afraid I disagree with you: some languages are even more difficult, I think.
Or
- TRUE, but the grammar is quite easy.
Or
-Yes, but it’s not so difficult as Russian.
Or
- Do you think so? Actually, I find it quite easy.
Agreement - Disagreement
№ | Agreement | Disagreement |
---|---|---|
1 | By all means | By no means |
2 | How nice of you | Far from it! |
3 | I’d be glad to | I think you’re mistaken |
4 | It / certainly / is. | I’d like to say yes, but… |
5 | Sure | I’m afraid I don’t agree. |
6 | That’s be lovely | I’m awfully sorry but you see |
7 | Why, yes of course | Just the other way round |