EXPRESSION OF AGREEMENT AND DISAGREEMENT

EXPRESSION OF AGREEMENT AND DISAGREEMENT

Objectives
Students are able to apply the structure of a text as well as the language features of expressing agreement and giving appropriate responses according to the context.

In a lot of situation when we interact with people around us, we often have to state our agreement on others’ opinion or ideas. We express agreement in various situations, for example when we talk about certain topics with our friends and family members, or when we have a formal discussion in the class or in a meeting. Thus, expressing agreement can be done either formally or informally, depending on the situation. In The following dialogs, we will see how people express their agreement in different situations.

Situation 1 : 

Andi and Bunga are about to go home.

Andi    : What a hot day it is. Let’s have some drinks at the canteen.

Bunga : That’s a good idea.

Andi     : How about a glass of lemon squash?Bunga : Absolutely.

Andi     : Mmm..this lemon squash is very fresh.

Bunga  : Indeed. I should also say that the price is affordable too.

Andi      : You are right.

Situation 2 : 

Mr. Wijaya is having a discussion about social media with the students.
Mr. Wijaya : Nowadays, social media are getting more popular among us.
Student 1 : I couldn’t agree more, Sir. For a lot of people, social media have become part of their life.
Mr. Wijaya : Yes. Facebook, twitter, and instagram, are just a few examples of social media. However, we must admit that social media not only bring advantages but also disadvantages for our life.
Student 2 : That’s exactly how I think, Sir. Social media are both good and bad.
Mr. Wijaya : Exactly. That’s why, we must be able to control ourselves when we use social media.
Student 3 : I am afraid I agree with you, Sir.

In situation 1  the conversations happen in an informal situation. Because they are friends, they use informal expressions to state agreement :
That’s a good idea.
Absolutely.
Indeed.
You are right.
I think so.
It is true.
Yes, of course.
I agree with you.

Meanwhile, situation 3 gives us an example on how formal expressions of agreement can be used. In that situation, Mr. Wijaya (a teacher) is having a discussion with his students. The students express their agreement in a formal way because they are talking with their teacher, a person they should pay respect. Besides, the discussion happens in a classroom context . Therefore, formal expressions that can be used are among others:
I couldn’t agree more, Sir.
That’s exactly how I think, Sir.
I am afraid I agree with you, Sir.

Multiple Choice

Andrea and Tina are bicycling around the hill. Suddenly, the rain falls.

Andrea : It starts to rain. We should stop and have some hot chocolate.

Tina : Good idea

The two girls will probably....

• find a cafe and buy a drink.

• keep on riding while drinking some hot chocolate.

• stop having some hot chocolate.

• talk about a good idea.

Multiple Choice

The following expressions can be used to state agreement in a formal situation, EXCEPT....

• I coudn't agree more

• indeed

• I’m afraid I agree with you

• That’s exactly how I think

Multiple Choice

The situation below in which an informal expression of agreement can be applied is....

• Some students are in a meeting with the teachers.

• Two classmates are talking about their favorite lessons.

• Some students are discussing the school facilities with the school principal.

• A student is taking part in an international conference about climate changes.

Multiple Choice

Heru : The library has a very complete collection.

Budi : I don’t think so.

Budi’s statement means that ....

• He agrees with Heru that the library has a very complete collection.

• He disagree that the library’s collection is very complete.

• He thinks Heru is right.

• He doesn’t think that Heru’s collection is very complete.

Multiple Choice

Wanda : The package you ordered has arrived, Doni. I put it in your room.

Doni : Really? I just ordered it two days ago. It’s so fast.

Wanda : No doubt about it. That delivery service is the best so far.

Doni : You’re right. The cost is also affordable, and I never complain about the condition of the package.

The statement “No doubt about it” means that...

• Wanda has no doubt that Doni has waited about the package.

• Wanda has no doubt that the package arrived two days ago.

• Wanda agrees that the package arrived so fast.

• Wanda agrees that the delivery service is the best.

Multiple Choice

Wanda : The package you ordered has arrived, Doni. I put it in your room.

Doni : Really? I just ordered it two days ago. It’s so fast.

Wanda : No doubt about it. That delivery service is the best so far.

Doni : You’re right. The cost is also affordable, and I never complain about the condition of the package.

The word affordable is close in meaning with....

• cheap

• expensive

• costly

• high

Multiple Choice

Wanda : The package you ordered has arrived, Doni. I put it in your room.

Doni : Really? I just ordered it two days ago. It’s so fast.

Wanda : No doubt about it. That delivery service is the best so far.

Doni : You’re right. The cost is also affordable, and I never complain about the condition of the package.

The followings are true based on the dialog above, except....

• Doni is amazed with the fast arrival of the package.

• No delivery service is better than the one which delivered Doni’s package.

• The cost for the delivery service is not high.

• The package arrived as expected.

Multiple Choice

Dewi: This novel has an interesting story.

Wulan: You’re right. The ending is unpredictable too.

Dewi: But the movie version is not as good as its novel. The story is dull.

Wulan: I don’t think so. The actors and actresses can play their roles well.

Dewi: I love the novel much, but not the movie.

Based on the dialog above, Wulan agrees that....

• The story is interesting.

• The movie version is not as good as the novel.

• The novel is much better than the movie.

• The movie version is much better than the novel.

Multiple Choice

Dewi: This novel has an interesting story.

Wulan: You’re right. The ending is unpredictable too.

Dewi: But the movie version is not as good as its novel. The story is dull.

Wulan: I don’t think so. The actors and actresses can play their roles well.

Dewi: I love the novel much, but not the movie.

The word unpredictable in the sentence means.....

• How the story ends is confusing.

• It is not easy to figure out how the story ends.

• It is not easy to predict how the story begins.

• How the story ends is easy to predict.

Multiple Choice

Bindi : Thanks. I bought them last week at Jogja City Mall. (1)

Bindi : I don’t think so. They were on sale. I got 50% off. (2)

Tedi : They must be very expensive.(3)

Bindi : That’s not true. Some products have the same price with other shopping malls.(4)

Tedi : Those shoes look great on you.(5)

Tedi : Jogja City Mall only sellls expensive things, right? (6)

The correct arrangement for the dialog above is....

• 1 – 5 – 3 – 6 – 4 – 2

• 5 – 1 – 3 – 2 – 6 – 4

• 6 – 4 – 5 – 2 – 1 – 3

• 6 – 4 – 2 – 5 – 3 – 1