In ‘The Frequently Tested Themes and Question Types in IELTS Writing‘, we see that the Agree or Disagree category is the most common question type in IELTS essay writing tasks. This means that expressing agreement often plays a key role in your essays. So, if we want to express agreement, what are some commonly used words or phrases besides “agree”? Below, we’ve compiled a list of 10 alternatives that can help diversify your vocabulary when supporting opinions.
'Agree' Alternatives: A Table View
| Synonym/Collocation | Examples |
|---|---|
| Consent to | 1. "The council consented to the proposal after much debate." (The Guardian) |
| 2. "He eventually consented to the new regulations." (BBC News) | |
| 3. "Both parties consented to the terms of the agreement." (The Economist) | |
| Concur with | 1. "Many experts concur with the conclusions drawn in the report." (Forbes) |
| 2. "Researchers concurred with the earlier studies." (Nature) | |
| 3. "The court concurred with the lower court’s ruling." (The New York Times) | |
| Approve of | 1. "Parents overwhelmingly approve of the new school policy." (The Washington Post) |
| 2. "Most voters approve of the government’s new healthcare plan." (BBC News) | |
| 3. "The company’s board approved of the CEO's decision." (Reuters) | |
| Be in favor of | 1. "The majority of the population is in favor of the proposed tax reform." (The Economist) |
| 2. "Environmentalists are in favor of banning plastic bags." (The Guardian) | |
| 3. "Many officials are in favor of delaying the vote." (Bloomberg) | |
| Support | 1. "The president supports the initiative to combat climate change." (The New York Times) |
| 2. "The union leaders support wage increases." (The Financial Times) | |
| 3. "Several organizations support the new bill on education." (The Washington Post) | |
| Endorse | 1. "The senator publicly endorsed the new infrastructure bill." (Reuters) |
| 2. "Many businesses have endorsed the policy change." (Forbes) | |
| 3. "He endorsed the candidate for the upcoming election." (BBC News) | |
| Accept | 1. "The team accepted the changes to the project plan." (The Financial Times) |
| 2. "Most people accept that climate change is real." (The Guardian) | |
| 3. "They accepted the terms of the agreement without objections." (The Economist) | |
| Affirm | 1. "The company affirmed its commitment to diversity in the workplace." (BBC News) |
| 2. "The government affirmed its stance on international relations." (Reuters) | |
| 3. "He affirmed his belief in democratic values." (The Guardian) | |
| Subscribe to | 1. "She subscribes to the theory that exercise improves mental health." (The New York Times) |
| 2. "He subscribes to the view that education is a human right." (The Economist) | |
| 3. "Many subscribe to the idea of free markets." (The Financial Times) | |
| Acknowledge | 1. "They acknowledged the need for greater transparency in the organization." (The Washington Post) |
| 2. "The leaders acknowledged their differences but agreed to work together." (BBC News) | |
| 3. "The company acknowledged its responsibility for the environmental damage." (The Guardian) |
