How to … express agreement and disagreement

We can use a range of phrases for expressing personal opinions, and for expressing agreement and disagreement.

We use these phrases for expressing agreement and disagreement.

Sometimes you may agree with part of what someone says, but not all of it.

A: People should be responsible for their own health. It’s not up to the government to tell them what to do.
B: I agree with you up to a point, but the government also has a duty to look after its people – and health is part of that.

You might also want to show that you acknowledge or understand someone’s argument, even if you don’t agree with it. This is called concession.

A: Yoga is fun, but it doesn’t help you with cardio.
B: I understand what you’re saying, but it does help you with strength and flexibility.

We use these phrases to express concession, or to partially agree with someone.

Exercise and sport play an important role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. People engage in physical activities for many reasons, including improving their health, having fun, and socializing with others. Understanding the motivation behind exercising and the benefits it brings can help encourage a regular and lasting habit.

One of the main motivations for exercise is to improve physical health. Regular physical activity strengthens the heart, improves circulation, and boosts the immune system. It also helps control weight by burning calories and building muscle. Many people exercise to prevent illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. In addition, exercise can improve sleep quality and increase energy levels, making daily tasks easier to manage.

Another important motivation is mental health. Exercise has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety by releasing endorphins, often called “feel-good” hormones. These natural chemicals create feelings of happiness and relaxation. Exercise also reduces stress by lowering levels of the hormone cortisol. For many people, physical activity offers a welcome break from daily worries and a chance to clear their minds.

Social interaction is another key reason why people take part in sports or group exercises. Joining a team or attending exercise classes provides opportunities to meet new people and build friendships. This social support can motivate individuals to keep exercising regularly. Sports often teach teamwork, cooperation, and communication skills, which are valuable both on and off the field.

The benefits of exercise extend beyond the physical and mental aspects. Regular activity can improve self-confidence and body image. Achieving fitness goals, whether running a certain distance or lifting heavier weights, creates a sense of accomplishment and pride. Additionally, sports and exercise often involve setting challenges and overcoming obstacles, which can help develop discipline and resilience.

Despite these benefits, many people struggle with motivation to start or maintain an exercise routine. Common barriers include lack of time, feeling tired, or not enjoying the activity. Finding the right type of exercise is important. Some people prefer high-intensity workouts like running or cycling, while others enjoy lower-intensity activities such as yoga or walking. Trying different activities can help find what is most enjoyable and sustainable.

Setting realistic goals and tracking progress can also boost motivation. Small, achievable targets increase the chances of success and provide a positive feedback loop. For example, beginning with a short daily walk and gradually increasing the duration or intensity can build confidence and habit.

In conclusion, exercise and sport offer numerous benefits for both body and mind. Being motivated can be challenging, but understanding the positive effects and finding enjoyable activities can help maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. Whether exercising alone or in groups, the key is to make physical activity a regular part of daily life for long-term well-being.

What is Partial Agreement?
Partial agreement means you agree with some parts of what someone said, but not everything. In English, we use specific stress patterns to show this polite disagreement while maintaining harmony in conversation.
🎯 KEY STRESS PATTERNS FOR PARTIAL AGREEMENT
Pattern 1: "Yes, BUT..." Structure
The stress pattern shows agreement first, then introduces disagreement.
Stress Pattern: Normal stress on "yes" + STRONG stress on "but" + stress on the contrasting point
Examples:

"Yes, BUT it's very EXPENSIVE."
"True, BUT we don't have TIME."
"Right, BUT that's not the POINT."

Pattern 2: "I agree, HOWEVER..." Structure
More formal partial agreement with emphasis on the contrasting connector.
Stress Pattern: Weak stress on agreement + STRONG stress on "however" + stress on new information
Examples:

"I agree, HOWEVER, there are RISKS."
"You're right, HOWEVER, we need more DATA."
"That's true, HOWEVER, it's not PRACTICAL."

📋 COMMON PARTIAL AGREEMENT PHRASES WITH STRESS
Mild Disagreement (Soft Stress)
These phrases use gentle stress to maintain politeness:
"Yes, but..." Variations

"YES, but not completely." (stress on YES and NOT)
"TRUE, but only partly." (stress on TRUE and ONLY)
"RIGHT, but not always." (stress on RIGHT and NOT)

"I see your point, but..."

"I SEE your point, but I'm not convinced."
"I UNDERSTAND, but there's another way."
"GOOD point, but what about this?"

Stronger Disagreement (Firm Stress)
These phrases use stronger stress to show more significant disagreement:
"While I agree... I think..."

"WHILE I agree it's good, I THINK it's too EXPENSIVE."
"ALTHOUGH you're right, I BELIEVE we need MORE time."

"On one hand... on the other hand..."

"On ONE hand, it's CHEAP. On the OTHER hand, it's POOR quality."
"TRUE, it's fast, BUT it's not very RELIABLE."

🎵 INTONATION PATTERNS IN PARTIAL AGREEMENT
Rising-Falling Pattern
Shows acknowledgment followed by contradiction:
"Yes ↗, but ↘ it's expensive ↘"

"Yes" - rising tone (showing agreement)
"but" - falling tone (introducing disagreement)
"expensive" - falling tone (stating the problem)

Emphatic Stress Pattern
Used when the disagreement is more important:
"I agree it's ↗ GOOD ↗, but it's ↘ REALLY ↘ expensive"

Rising tone on the agreement part
Falling tone with heavy stress on the disagreement

📚 ADVANCED PARTIAL AGREEMENT EXPRESSIONS
Formal/Academic Contexts
"To some extent..." (Stress Pattern: Strong-weak-weak-STRONG)

"To SOME extent, YES, but we need MORE evidence."
"PARTLY true, but NOT the whole STORY."

"While I appreciate..." (Stress Pattern: weak-weak-STRONG-weak-STRONG)

"While I APPRECIATE your point, I DISAGREE with the conclusion."
"I VALUE your opinion, HOWEVER, I see it DIFFERENTLY."

Casual/Informal Contexts
"Yeah, but..." (Stress Pattern: weak-STRONG)

"YEAH, but that's NOT what I MEANT."
"SURE, but it's still WRONG."

"Fair enough, but..." (Stress Pattern: STRONG-weak-STRONG)

"FAIR enough, but WHAT about the COST?"
"OKAY, but SURELY you see the PROBLEM?"

🔍 STRESS PATTERNS BY AGREEMENT LEVEL
High Agreement (70-90% agreement)
Softer stress on disagreement markers:

"MOSTLY true, but slightly off." (gentle stress)
"LARGELY correct, but one small thing." (weak disagreement stress)
"BASICALLY right, but not quite." (minimal contrasting stress)

Medium Agreement (40-70% agreement)
Moderate stress showing balanced views:

"PARTLY right, PARTLY wrong." (equal stress on both)
"SOME truth to that, BUT also SOME problems." (balanced stress)
"GOOD points, BAD points too." (equal emphasis)

Low Agreement (10-40% agreement)
Strong stress on disagreement while remaining polite:

"I HEAR you, but I STRONGLY disagree." (emphatic disagreement)
"INTERESTING view, but COMPLETELY wrong." (strong contrast stress)
"NICE try, but NOT convincing." (firm disagreement stress)

💬 CONTEXTUAL STRESS VARIATIONS
Business/Professional Settings
More formal stress patterns with diplomatic language:
Examples:

"I APPRECIATE your proposal, HOWEVER, we have CONCERNS about the BUDGET."
"EXCELLENT work overall, but we need to ADDRESS a few ISSUES."
"VALID points, but let's CONSIDER alternative APPROACHES."

Academic Discussions
Intellectual disagreement with scholarly stress patterns:
Examples:

"Your ANALYSIS is SOUND, but your CONCLUSION is QUESTIONABLE."
"COMPELLING argument, NEVERTHELESS, the EVIDENCE is INSUFFICIENT."
"I CONCEDE that point, but SURELY you must ACKNOWLEDGE the LIMITATIONS."

Social/Personal Conversations
Casual disagreement with friendly stress patterns:
Examples:

"YEAH, I get it, but COME ON, that's CRAZY!"
"SURE, SURE, but SERIOUSLY? REALLY?"
"OKAY, FINE, but WHAT IF we TRIED something ELSE?"

⚠️ COMMON MISTAKES IN STRESS PATTERNS
Mistake 1: Too Much Stress on Agreement
❌ "I ABSOLUTELY COMPLETELY agree, but..." (sounds sarcastic)
✅ "I AGREE, but..." (sounds genuine)
Mistake 2: No Stress on Disagreement Markers
❌ "Yes, but it's expensive." (sounds weak)
✅ "Yes, BUT it's EXPENSIVE." (clear disagreement)
Mistake 3: Wrong Stress on "However"
❌ "I agree, however..." (wrong syllable)
✅ "I agree, HOWever..." (correct stress)
Mistake 4: Aggressive Stress Pattern
❌ "NO, NO, NO, but ACTUALLY..." (too confrontational)
✅ "TRUE, but ACTUALLY..." (diplomatic)
🎭 EMOTIONAL TONE AND STRESS
Respectful Disagreement
Soft stress with gentle intonation:

"I respect your view, but I see it differently."

Firm but Polite Disagreement
Clear stress without aggression:

"ABSOLUTELY understand, but we MUST consider the RISKS."

Frustrated Disagreement
Stronger stress showing emotion while remaining professional:

"LOOK, I GET it, but this is REALLY important!"

Time-related phrases help us express when things happen, how long they take, frequency, and relationships between different time periods.

📅 EXPRESSING SPECIFIC TIME

"at the stroke of midnight" - exactly at 12:00 AM
"on the dot" - exactly on time
"sharp" - precisely at the stated time
"around/about" - approximately at that time

Examples:

"The meeting starts at 3 PM sharp."
"Be there at 9 on the dot."
"I'll arrive around 7 o'clock."
"The ceremony begins at the stroke of noon."

Parts of the Day

"in the small hours" - very early morning (1-5 AM)
"at the crack of dawn" - very early morning
"in broad daylight" - during the day (often surprising)
"at dusk/twilight" - between day and night
"in the dead of night" - very late at night

Examples:

"He left in the small hours of the morning."
"We'll start at the crack of dawn."
"The robbery happened in broad daylight."

⏳ EXPRESSING DURATION

"for ages" - for a very long time
"for a while" - for some time (not specific)
"for the time being" - temporarily, for now
"for good" - permanently, forever
"around the clock" - 24 hours continuously

Examples:

"I haven't seen him for ages."
"This arrangement is just for the time being."
"She's leaving the country for good."
"The hospital operates around the clock."

Short vs. Long Duration

Short Duration:

"in a flash" - very quickly
"in the blink of an eye" - extremely quickly
"in no time" - very soon
"before you know it" - sooner than expected

Examples:

"The accident happened in a flash."
"Summer vacation will be over before you know it."

Long Duration:

"for an eternity" - for what feels like forever
"time drags" - time passes very slowly
"seems like forever" - feels like a very long time

Examples:

"Waiting for the results felt like an eternity."
"When you're bored, time drags."

🔄 EXPRESSING FREQUENCY
Regular Frequency

"day in, day out" - every single day continuously
"round the clock" - continuously, 24/7
"time and again" - repeatedly, many times
"more often than not" - usually, in most cases
"every so often" - occasionally, from time to time

Examples:

"He works day in, day out without complaining."
"Time and again, I've told you to be careful."
"More often than not, she arrives late."

Irregular Frequency

"every now and then" - occasionally
"once in a while" - sometimes, not regularly
"every once in a while" - occasionally
"from time to time" - occasionally
"once in a blue moon" - very rarely

Examples:

"Every now and then, we go out for dinner."
"He calls me once in a blue moon."
"From time to time, I think about moving abroad."

⚡ EXPRESSING SPEED AND URGENCY
Fast/Immediate Actions

"at a moment's notice" - immediately when asked
"in the nick of time" - just in time, almost too late
"at short notice" - with little advance warning
"on the spur of the moment" - spontaneously, without planning
"without delay" - immediately

Examples:

"She can travel at a moment's notice."
"We arrived in the nick of time."
"They decided to marry on the spur of the moment."

Slow/Delayed Actions

"in due course" - at the appropriate time
"in the fullness of time" - eventually, when enough time has passed
"sooner or later" - eventually, at some point
"when the time is right" - at the appropriate moment

Examples:

"You'll receive your diploma in due course."
"Sooner or later, he'll have to face the truth."
"We'll discuss this when the time is right."

📈 EXPRESSING TEMPORAL RELATIONSHIPS
Before and After

"in the run-up to" - in the period leading to an event
"in the wake of" - following an event (usually negative)
"in the aftermath of" - after a significant event
"prior to" - before (formal)
"subsequent to" - after (formal)

Examples:

"In the run-up to the election, tensions were high."
"In the wake of the scandal, he resigned."
"Prior to starting work, complete the training."

Simultaneous Events

"at the same time" - simultaneously
"in the meantime" - during the intervening period
"meanwhile" - at the same time
"all the while" - during the entire time
"for the duration" - for the entire length of time

Examples:

"Study for your exam; in the meantime, I'll prepare dinner."
"All the while he was talking, I was thinking about something else."

🎯 DEADLINES AND SCHEDULING
Meeting Deadlines

"against the clock" - working quickly because time is limited
"time is running out" - there's not much time left
"pressed for time" - having little time available
"make up for lost time" - work faster to compensate for delays
"beat the deadline" - finish before the required time

Examples:

"We're working against the clock to finish this project."
"Time is running out for applications."
"I'm pressed for time, so let's make this quick."

Flexible Timing

"when you get a chance" - when convenient for you
"at your convenience" - when it suits you
"when you have a moment" - when you're free
"no rush" - take your time
"take your time" - don't hurry

Examples:

"Call me when you get a chance."
"Please respond at your convenience."
"No rush - finish it when you can."

🔮 FUTURE TIME EXPRESSIONS
Near Future

"any day now" - very soon
"just around the corner" - very close in time
"in the near future" - soon, but not immediately
"before long" - soon
"in a matter of days/hours" - within a few days/hours

Examples:

"The baby could arrive any day now."
"Summer vacation is just around the corner."
"We'll know the results in a matter of hours."

Distant Future

"in the long run" - over a long period of time
"in years to come" - in future years
"down the road" - at some point in the future
"somewhere down the line" - at some unspecified future time

Examples:

"In the long run, this investment will pay off."
"Down the road, we might consider expanding."

📜 PAST TIME EXPRESSIONS
Recent Past

"just now" - a moment ago
"not long ago" - recently
"the other day" - a few days ago
"a while back" - some time ago
"lately" - recently, in recent times

Examples:

"I saw him just now in the corridor."
"Not long ago, this area was all farmland."
"The other day, I bumped into an old friend."

Distant Past

"back in the day" - in the past (often nostalgic)
"once upon a time" - long ago (often in stories)
"in days gone by" - in the past
"years ago" - many years in the past
"ages ago" - a very long time ago

Examples:

"Back in the day, we didn't have smartphones."
"Years ago, this used to be a quiet neighborhood."
"I learned to drive ages ago."

⚖️ TIME MANAGEMENT EXPRESSIONS
Using Time Efficiently

"make the most of" - use time very effectively
"time well spent" - time used productively
"kill time" - spend time on unimportant activities
"save time" - do something more efficiently
"waste time" - use time unproductively

Examples:

"Let's make the most of our weekend."
"Learning that skill was time well spent."
"I'm just killing time until the store opens."

Time Problems

"time flies" - time passes quickly
"running late" - behind schedule
"losing track of time" - not noticing how much time has passed
"time consuming" - taking a lot of time
"time-sensitive" - must be done within a specific timeframe

Examples:

"Time flies when you're having fun."
"Sorry I'm running late - traffic was terrible."
"I was reading and lost track of time."

🎪 IDIOMATIC TIME EXPRESSIONS
Common Time Idioms

"time heals all wounds" - emotional pain decreases over time
"time is money" - time is valuable and shouldn't be wasted
"better late than never" - it's better to do something late than not at all
"in the nick of time" - just before it's too late
"time and tide wait for no man" - time continues regardless of people's circumstances

Examples:

"Don't worry about the breakup - time heals all wounds."
"We need to finish quickly - time is money!"
"You missed most of the party, but better late than never."

Time Metaphors

"time stood still" - a moment felt frozen or eternal
"living on borrowed time" - expecting something bad to happen soon
"time is of the essence" - time is very important/urgent
"turn back the clock" - return to an earlier time
"ahead of one's time" - having ideas before others are ready for them

Examples:

"When I saw the accident, time stood still."
"With his illness, he feels like he's living on borrowed time."
"We need to decide quickly - time is of the essence."