5 Ways to express partial agreement
The ability to express agreement, disagreement and partial agreement are key skills when speaking any language, and even more so when in a professional context.
Frequently, non-native speakers struggle with the nuance of the ‘middle ground’, often preferring to remain silent. However, that is a risky strategy – silence may be perceived as agreement. If you agree, but with some reservation, doubt or dissent, it is important to be able to communicate that. Here are five ways to express partial agreement:
1. I’m on the fence.
2. I agree… to a certain extent / up to a point / in part…
3. I broadly agree, but I have some reservations about…
4. There is some merit in that/what you say, however…
5. I cannot fully endorse that opinion. While I agree with/that X, I believe…
Each of these five sentences communicate that you do not fully agree. They are often followed by more detailed explanations of your concerns, reservations and reasons for disagreement. This allows you to paint a more detailed picture of your view.
If your work requires you to be fluent in the partial agreement, here are some bonus expressions to support you:
It is only partly true that…
That is not necessarily so.
We don’t seem to be in complete agreement…