1. Agree & Disagree Collocation
In IELTS Speaking and Writing tasks, you’re often asked to give opinions or respond to other people’s viewpoints. To achieve a high band score, it’s crucial to use a range of natural collocations and express agreement and disagreement with clarity and precision.
Let’s explore useful collocations with real IELTS-style examples:
✅ Expressing Strong Agreement
Collocations:
- Totally agree
- Strongly agree
- Wholeheartedly agree
IELTS Writing Task 2 Example:
Prompt: “Some people think that children should be taught how to be good parents at school. Do you agree or disagree?”
Response:
“I strongly agree with the idea of introducing parenting education in schools, as it prepares students for future responsibilities and fosters emotional intelligence.”
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Example:
Question: “Do you think money is the most important factor in a job?”
Response:
“Personally, I totally agree that salary is important, but I also believe job satisfaction plays an even greater role.”
🤝 Partial Agreement
Collocations:
- Agree up to a point
- Agree in principle
IELTS Writing Task 2 Example:
Prompt: “Some believe that people should make efforts to fight climate change, while others think it is better to live with it. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.”
Response:
“I agree up to a point with those who argue we must adapt to climate change, but I believe the focus should be on reducing its effects through collective global action.”
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Example:
Question: “Do you think advertising influences our buying decisions?”
Response:
“I agree in principle, since advertising creates awareness. However, I think personal preferences and needs play a bigger role.”
👥 Shared Perspectives & Differences of Opinion
Collocations:
- Share a view/opinion
- Difference of opinion
- Worlds apart
IELTS Writing Task 2 Example:
Prompt: “Some people think governments should fund the arts, while others believe this money should be spent on public services. Discuss both views.”
Response:
“While both sides present valid points, those who prioritize public services and those who advocate for funding the arts are clearly worlds apart in their perspectives.”
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Example:
Question: “Do men and women tend to have different opinions about shopping?”
Response:
“Yes, definitely. In my experience, men and women often share different views when it comes to shopping priorities. There’s usually a difference of opinion about what’s necessary and what’s not.”
⚖️ Reaching an Agreement or Disagreement
Collocations:
- Reach a compromise
- Heated argument
- Minor/major disagreement
- Vehemently disagree
- Bitter dispute
- Settle a disagreement
IELTS Writing Task 2 Example:
Prompt: “Some people think parents should teach children how to be good members of society. Others, however, believe school is the place to learn this. Discuss both views.”
Response:
“Both parents and schools play a role in social education. Ideally, they should reach a compromise where schools reinforce the values taught at home.”
IELTS Speaking Part 3 Example:
Question: “What happens when people strongly disagree during a discussion?”
Response:
“Sometimes a heated argument can occur, especially if both sides vehemently disagree and are unwilling to settle the disagreement peacefully.”
🧠 Bonus Tips for High Band Scores
- Avoid saying “I’m agree” ❌ — the correct forms are “I agree” or “I’m in agreement.”
- For Band 7+ in Lexical Resource, you need to show flexibility and precision in vocabulary.
- Use discourse markers like “Personally,” “However,” and “That being said” to organize your response smoothly.
📝 Practice Exercise
Try using the following collocations in your own IELTS responses:
- Wholeheartedly agree
- Agree in principle
- Worlds apart
- Heated argument
- Reach a compromise