1. To agree with someone or something (Để đồng ý với ai đó hoặc một điều gì đó):

- Agree [intransitive and transitive verb]: to have the same opinion as someone, or to think that a statement is correct

• Many people agreed with his views about the war.
• I completely agree with Chomsky when he says that humans are born with a special ability to learn language.
• Most experts agree that dieting needs to be accompanied by regular exercise.

STUDY NOTE: Grammar

Don’t say ‘agree someone's opinion’ or ‘agree to someone's opinion’. Say ‘agree with someone's opinion.’

- Share somebody's view / concern / fear: to have the same opinion, concern, fear, etc. as someone else

• I share her concerns about the lack of women in high academic positions.
• A lot of people share his view that tourism will have a negative impact on the island.
• This fear was shared by union leaders, who saw the new law as an attack on their rights.

• There are a number of scientists who subscribe to the view that there is a God who controls the workings of the universe.
• Some people think that there are cases where torture is justified. I, for one, do not subscribe to this theory.

- Be of the same opinion: if people are of the same opinion, they agree with each other

• All three specialists were of the same opinion about the cause of her illness.
• Professor Dawkins is of the same opinion as Dr Jones.

- Concur [intransitive and transitive verb]: a formal word meaning to agree

• The committee concurred with this view.
• Most modern historians would readily concur that (= agree without any hesitation) this was an event of huge importance.
• As most biblical scholars concur, the letter could not have been written by any contemporary of Jesus.

- Somebody is right / somebody makes a valid point: used when you agree with what someone says

• Darwin was right when he argued that humans and higher mammals are closely related.
• Cox makes a valid point when he questions our ability to remain objective.

2. To partly agree with someone or something (Để đồng ý một phần với ai đó hoặc một điều gì đó):

- Agree up to a point: to partly agree with someone or something

• Although I agree with him up to a point, I find it hard to believe that this is true in every case.

- Broadly agree: to agree with most parts of something

• The conference delegates broadly agreed with the proposals.

- There is some truth in: used when saying that you think that something is partly true or right

• There is some truth in the argument that there is a link between violence on our streets and violence on our TV screens.
• There is some truth in all of these theories, but none of them can fully explain the causes of unemployment.

Source: Longman Essay Activator

Phạm Quốc Thiện
Giáo viên Tiếng Anh – Trường Quốc tế Á Châu