One place I see a lot of students making mistakes is in using the verb agree.
Specifically, which preposition to use after it. Do you agree on something or agree with something or agree to something? We actually use ALL of these in English – but in different situations.
So today you’ll learn 5 ways to use the verb agree correctly, with example sentences to show you the right way!
To find and fix your English errors FAST, join the 200 common errors in English course.
Okay, let’s start the lesson!
Agree with
We agree with a person if we have the same opinion as that person.
If someone says “I think it’s important to preserve the environment” and you share that opinion, you can say “I agree with you.” You could also simply say “I agree.” Here are a few more examples of agreeing with someone else:
- My teacher says reading is very important, and I agree with her.
- I don’t agree with my relatives when it comes to politics.
We can also agree with / disagree with a statement, a decision, an article, an opinion, an idea, or another form of communication or position:
- This is a well-researched book, and I agree with most of the points in it.
- My parents support that politician because they agree with her stance on the economy.
Agree on / about
We agree on or about a topic or plan. Here are some examples:
- Everyone on the team agreed on a date for the meeting.
- My husband and I agree about the best way to educate our kids.
- The students need to agree on how to do the project.
- We can be friends even if we don’t agree about everything.
Note the difference – we agree on/about a topic; we agree with someone’s opinion/statement on a topic.
Take a look at these two examples – let’s say I’m a vegetarian, and my sister is not.
- My sister and I don’t agree about the ethics of eating meat.
- I don’t agree with my sister’s opinions about eating meat.
Agree that
Agree that is followed by the thing that we agree on.
The difference from the previous example is that agree on/about is followed by a noun or a question word (agree on politics, agree about where to have the party), whereas agree that is followed by a subject + verb, or the -ING form of the verb:
- He agreed that it was a great movie.
- I agree that saving 10% of your salary is a good idea.
- She agrees that we should clean the house more often.
- Doctors agree that washing your hands helps keep you healthy.
Agree to
We agree to do an action – so agree to is followed by a verb – and this means you promise to do the action:
- I agreed to give them a ride home from work.
- We all agreed to meet up at 8:00.
- He’s so lazy; he never agrees to help out.
- I lent her money and she agreed to pay me back tomorrow.
We can also agree to the terms of a contract; this means we consent to it, we accept it:
- Hey, I never agreed to this price increase!
What to say after “agree”:
So let’s review:
- Agree with a person: Everyone agrees with me
- Agree with a statement/idea/opinion: I agree with his perspective.
- Agree on/about a topic: We agree on the best course of action.
- Agree that something is true/good: They agree that an apology is necessary.
- Agree to do something: She agreed to help me study for the test.
Don’t say “I’m agree”
One final tip: never say “I’m agree” – that’s incorrect.
Always say “I agree” and then use one of the words you learned in this lesson – agree with, agree on/about, agree that, agree to.
It’s really easy to make these little mistakes when you’re learning English, and it’s hard to discover and correct your own errors!
As an teacher, I see a lot of the same mistakes being made frequently by students – and that’s why I created the 200 common errors in English course.
Inside this course, you’ll learn the most common mistakes in grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation – so that you can recognize them and avoid them.
Learn more: How to disagree politely
