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Teach lesson 27: Agreeing and disagreeing politely

Classroom slides with recorded audio, teacher notes and a printable worksheet for Everyday English lesson 27 (Confident · B1). Goal: Give your opinion and disagree without sounding rude.

By Team EnglishCoach · How we check our content · Updated 2026-11-10

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Classroom slides

Show these on a projector or TV. Use the arrow keys, or tap the right side of a slide to go forward and the left side to go back. Press ▶ to play the recording, F for full screen and P to play the slide's audio.

Everyday English · Lesson 27 · Confident · B1

Agreeing and disagreeing politely

Give your opinion and disagree without sounding rude.

Warm-up · talk with a partner

Is it polite to disagree with your boss or an older person in your culture?

Key phrase 1 of 8

I totally agree.

Strong agreement.

Key phrase 2 of 8

Fair point.

You accept the other person's idea.

Key phrase 3 of 8

I see what you mean, but…

Polite disagreement.

Key phrase 4 of 8

I'm not sure about that.

Soft disagreement.

Key phrase 5 of 8

Have we thought about…?

Suggest another idea politely.

Key phrase 6 of 8

I'd prefer to…

Say what you'd like.

Key phrase 7 of 8

That might be tricky because…

Raise a problem gently.

Key phrase 8 of 8

Let's go with that.

Agree on a decision.

Conversation

Coworker and Mai

Listen to the whole conversation first. Then we go line by line.

Conversation · line 1 of 8

Coworker

I reckon we should move the team meeting to Friday afternoon.

Conversation · line 2 of 8

Coworker: I reckon we should move the team meeting to Friday afternoon.

Mai

I see what you mean, but Friday afternoon might be tricky. A few people finish early.

Conversation · line 3 of 8

Mai: I see what you mean, but Friday afternoon might be tricky. A few people finish early.

Coworker

Fair point. What about Thursday morning?

Conversation · line 4 of 8

Coworker: Fair point. What about Thursday morning?

Mai

That works for me. Have we thought about making it shorter, too?

Conversation · line 5 of 8

Mai: That works for me. Have we thought about making it shorter, too?

Coworker

Thirty minutes instead of an hour?

Conversation · line 6 of 8

Coworker: Thirty minutes instead of an hour?

Mai

Yes, I'd prefer that.

Conversation · line 7 of 8

Mai: Yes, I'd prefer that.

Coworker

Totally agree. Let's go with Thursday at ten, for thirty minutes.

Conversation · line 8 of 8

Coworker: Totally agree. Let's go with Thursday at ten, for thirty minutes.

Mai

Great, I'll send the invite.

Your turn · role-play

Work with a partner

Student A is Coworker. Student B is Mai. Read the conversation together, then swap. Then try it again with your own details.

Your turn · say it 1 of 3

I see what you mean, but …

Use your own details where you see “…”. Say it to your partner, then listen to theirs.

Your turn · say it 2 of 3

Have we thought about …?

Use your own details where you see “…”. Say it to your partner, then listen to theirs.

Your turn · say it 3 of 3

That might be tricky because …

Use your own details where you see “…”. Say it to your partner, then listen to theirs.

Quiz · question 1 of 5

Which is the most polite way to disagree?

  1. A You're wrong.
  2. B I see what you mean, but…
  3. C No way.

✓ B: Acknowledge their idea first.

Quiz · question 2 of 5

What does 'Fair point' mean?

  1. A Your idea is reasonable
  2. B That's not fair
  3. C Point at something

✓ A: It accepts the other person's argument.

Quiz · question 3 of 5

What does 'I reckon' mean?

  1. A I think
  2. B I remember
  3. C I count

✓ A: Very common in Australia.

Quiz · question 4 of 5

What does 'That might be tricky' mean?

  1. A It could be difficult
  2. B It's a magic trick
  3. C It's easy

✓ A: A gentle way to raise a problem.

Quiz · question 5 of 5

Why do Australians often disagree indirectly?

  1. A To be polite and keep good relationships
  2. B Because they're confused
  3. C It's the law

✓ A: Direct 'No, you're wrong' can sound rude.

Good to know in Australia 🇦🇺

Australians often soften disagreement with phrases like 'I see what you mean, but…' or 'Yeah, maybe, but…'. Listen for the 'but', because that's where the real opinion is.

Well done!

Practise at home

The same lesson, free, no sign-up:
englishcoaching.au/learn-english/everyday-english/agreeing-and-disagreeing-politely/

Free lessons at englishcoaching.au

englishcoaching.au

Teacher notes

Level: Confident · B1 · Time: about 60 minutes · You need: this page on a screen with sound, and one printed worksheet per learner.

Warm-up (5 minutes)

Show the warm-up slide and ask: "Is it polite to disagree with your boss or an older person in your culture?" Learners talk in pairs for two minutes, then a few share with the class.

Three steps

  1. Key phrases (15 minutes). Show each phrase, press ▶ and let learners listen once, then repeat together, then one by one. Check meaning with the note on the slide: "When would you say this?"
  2. The conversation (15 minutes). Play the whole conversation once with worksheets face down. Then go line by line while learners fill the gaps in part B of the worksheet. Check answers, then learners read it in pairs.
  3. Your turn and the quiz (20 minutes). Learners say the "Your turn" sentences with their own details, do the role-play below, then answer the quiz slides in pairs before you press "Show answer". Finish with part D of the worksheet (their own sentences).

Pair work

Student A is Coworker and student B is Mai. Pairs read the conversation, swap roles, then turn the worksheet over and do it again from memory, changing the details (names, times, places, prices). Stronger pairs add two lines of their own; newer learners can keep the worksheet in front of them.

Using the audio

  • Every phrase and conversation line is recorded with natural AI voices: Coworker is read by Josh and Mai by Mel. Press ▶ on a slide or press P.
  • Play each phrase twice: once to listen, once for the class to repeat. On the conversation slides, pause after each line so learners can repeat it.
  • Test the sound before class. If the internet is slow, open the slides a few minutes early and play the first phrase once.

Good to know in Australia

Australians often soften disagreement with phrases like 'I see what you mean, but…' or 'Yeah, maybe, but…'. Listen for the 'but', because that's where the real opinion is.

After class

Printable worksheet

One A4 worksheet per learner: the key phrases and the conversation with gaps, the quiz, and space for their own sentences. The answer key prints on a separate page.

Name: Date:

Everyday English · Lesson 27: Agreeing and disagreeing politely

Give your opinion and disagree without sounding rude.

A. Key phrases: fill the gaps

Word bank: because · mean · point · prefer · sure · thought · totally · with

  1. I agree. (Strong agreement)
  2. Fair . (You accept the other person's idea)
  3. I see what you , but… (Polite disagreement)
  4. I'm not about that. (Soft disagreement)
  5. Have we about…? (Suggest another idea politely)
  6. I'd to… (Say what you'd like)
  7. That might be tricky … (Raise a problem gently)
  8. Let's go that. (Agree on a decision)

B. Listen to the conversation and fill the gaps

  1. Coworker: I reckon we should move the team meeting to Friday .
  2. Mai: I see what you mean, but Friday might be tricky. A few people finish early.
  3. Coworker: Fair point. What about Thursday ?
  4. Mai: That works for me. Have we thought about making it , too?
  5. Coworker: Thirty instead of an hour?
  6. Mai: Yes, I'd prefer .
  7. Coworker: Totally agree. Let's go with Thursday at ten, for thirty .
  8. Mai: Great, I'll send the .

C. Quick quiz: circle the best answer

  1. Which is the most polite way to disagree?

    a) You're wrong.b) I see what you mean, but…c) No way.

  2. What does 'Fair point' mean?

    a) Your idea is reasonableb) That's not fairc) Point at something

  3. What does 'I reckon' mean?

    a) I thinkb) I rememberc) I count

  4. What does 'That might be tricky' mean?

    a) It could be difficultb) It's a magic trickc) It's easy

  5. Why do Australians often disagree indirectly?

    a) To be polite and keep good relationshipsb) Because they're confusedc) It's the law

D. My sentences

Finish these with your own details. Then write two more sentences you can use this week.

  1. I see what you mean, but
  2. Have we thought about ?
  3. That might be tricky because

Free lesson with audio: englishcoaching.au/learn-english/everyday-english/agreeing-and-disagreeing-politely/ · Free to use with your learners. Please keep the englishcoaching link on printed copies.

Answer key · Lesson 27: Agreeing and disagreeing politely

A. Key phrases

  1. I totally agree.
  2. Fair point.
  3. I see what you mean, but…
  4. I'm not sure about that.
  5. Have we thought about…?
  6. I'd prefer to…
  7. That might be tricky because…
  8. Let's go with that.

B. Conversation gaps

  1. afternoon
  2. afternoon
  3. morning
  4. shorter
  5. minutes
  6. that
  7. minutes
  8. invite

C. Quiz

  1. b) I see what you mean, but…
  2. a) Your idea is reasonable
  3. a) I think
  4. a) It could be difficult
  5. a) To be polite and keep good relationships

englishcoaching.au/learn-english/everyday-english/agreeing-and-disagreeing-politely/

Free to use with your learners. Please keep the englishcoaching link on printed copies.

Frequently asked questions

How do I teach agreeing and disagreeing politely to adult English learners?

Start with a warm-up question, present the 8 key phrases with the recorded audio, play the conversation line by line, let learners role-play it with their own details, and finish with the quiz. The teacher notes on this page give timings for a 60-minute class.

What level is this lesson?

Confident level, about CEFR B1. It is lesson 27 of 42 in our free Everyday English course, so you can follow the course week by week or pick the topics your learners need.

Do learners need an account?

No. Learners can do the same lesson at home for free, with no sign-up, at /learn-english/everyday-english/agreeing-and-disagreeing-politely/. Their progress is saved only on their own device.

Can I print the worksheet?

Yes. Press 'Print the worksheet' to print it or save it as a PDF on A4 paper. It has the key phrases and the conversation with gaps, the quiz, space for learners' own sentences and an answer key on a separate page.

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