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:

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✅ 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.”

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🤝 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.”

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👥 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.”

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⚖️ 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.”

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🧠 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.

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📝 Practice Exercise

Try using the following collocations in your own IELTS responses:

• Wholeheartedly agree
• Agree in principle
• Worlds apart
• Heated argument
• Reach a compromise