Academic Discussion Language: Agreeing, Disagreeing, Hedging
⏱ 5 Minutes · B2/C1
📖 From Experience
At the immigration office in France, I once politely disagreed with an official — in French — and managed to change a decision. The key was not what I said but how I said it. ‘I understand your position, but I wonder if…’ Academic discussion language is about being assertive without being aggressive. It works in English too.
📚 Expressing Your View
- In my view / opinion / experience…
- It seems to me that…
- I would argue that…
- The evidence suggests…
📚 Agreeing and Disagreeing
| Function | Phrases |
|---|---|
| Agree | I completely agree. · That’s a strong point. · Exactly. · Precisely. |
| Partially agree | That’s true to some extent, but… · I take your point, however… |
| Disagree politely | I’m not sure I agree. · I see it differently. · With respect, I think… |
| Hedge | It tends to… · This may suggest… · In many cases… · Generally speaking… |
✅ Examples
- “I take your point about cost, however the long-term benefits may outweigh it.”
- “It seems to me that the evidence points in a different direction.”
- “With respect, I would argue that this conclusion is not fully supported.”
✏️ Your Turn
Rewrite in formal academic discussion style:
- ‘You’re wrong about that.’
- ‘Yeah, totally agree.’
- ‘Maybe it’s true sometimes.’
💡 Check Answers
- I’m afraid I see this rather differently. / With respect, I would argue that…
- I completely agree with that point. / That is a compelling argument.
- That may well be the case in some contexts, although… / It tends to be true, but…
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