B1 • Lesson 39 of 75

Expressing Degrees of Certainty

Show nuanced agreement and disagreement

💭 Opinion & Argument
📖 Do Prep First →

The Spark: Beyond "I Agree"

Real conversations rarely have simple "yes" or "no" agreement. Most opinions are nuanced - you partially agree, have mixed feelings, or believe something with varying degrees of certainty.

Compare responses to: "Remote work is the future of work"

❌ Too Binary

"Yes, I agree. Remote work is the future."

Sounds one-dimensional and unsophisticated

✓ Nuanced

"I partly agree. For some jobs, definitely. But I'm not entirely convinced it's the future for everyone. I have mixed feelings about it."

Shows critical thinking and balanced perspective!

Expressing degrees of certainty makes you sound more intelligent, thoughtful, and like a native speaker.

Today you'll learn: Five phrases to express agreement at different levels of certainty.

Micro-Skill: The Agreement Scale

Use these phrases to show exactly how much you agree or disagree:

The Agreement Scale

100%
Completely agree
75%
Mostly agree
50%
Mixed feelings
25%
Mostly disagree
0%
Completely disagree
"I completely agree that..." Click to expand
USE
100% agreement - you fully support the idea
FORM
I completely agree that + statement
NOTE
Strong emphasis on agreement

Examples:

"I completely agree that education should be free for everyone."

"I completely agree - mental health is just as important as physical health."

🎤 NOW YOU TRY

Complete: "I completely agree that..."

"I partly agree, but..." Click to expand
USE
Partial agreement with a reservation
FEEL
Balanced, diplomatic
PATTERN
Agree on one point, then add "but..."

Examples:

"I partly agree that we need stricter laws, but we also need better enforcement."

"I partly agree - technology helps, but it also creates new problems."

🎤 NOW YOU TRY

Try: "I partly agree that social media is good for connection, but..."

"I'm not entirely convinced that..." Click to expand
USE
Polite disagreement - you have doubts
TONE
Diplomatic, thoughtful, respectful
FEEL
Intelligent skepticism

Examples:

"I'm not entirely convinced that AI will create more jobs than it destroys."

"I'm not entirely convinced this is the best solution, to be honest."

🎤 NOW YOU TRY

Complete: "I'm not entirely convinced that... because..."

"I have mixed feelings about..." Click to expand
USE
When you see both pros and cons
PATTERN
Mixed feelings + explain both sides
FEEL
Honest, balanced, realistic

Examples:

"I have mixed feelings about working weekends - it's good money but exhausting."

"I have mixed feelings about big cities - amazing culture, but lots of pollution."

🎤 NOW YOU TRY

Try: "I have mixed feelings about... On one hand..., on the other hand..."

"I strongly believe..." Click to expand
USE
When you have a firm conviction
NOTE
Different from "I completely agree" - this is your belief
FEEL
Personal, passionate, authentic

Examples:

"I strongly believe that everyone deserves respect, no matter their background."

"I strongly believe we need to act on climate change now."

🎤 NOW YOU TRY

Share: "I strongly believe that... because..."

Guided Practice: Finding Your Position

For each statement, express your level of agreement:

Statement 1

"Social media has made people lonelier"

What's your position?

💡 You might completely agree, partly agree, have mixed feelings, or be unconvinced

Statement 2

"Young people today have it easier than previous generations"

Respond with nuance (45+ seconds)

💡 Try: "I partly agree... but I have mixed feelings about... because..."

Statement 3

"Companies should prioritize profits or environmental responsibility?"

Give a full response showing your certainty

💡 "I strongly believe... but I'm not entirely convinced that... I have mixed feelings about..."

Free Production: The Opinion Game

React to these statements with different degrees of agreement. Vary your phrases!

Speaking Timer

6:00

Your Opinions:

🎓 "University education is too expensive"
🚗 "Cars will be completely replaced by public transport in 50 years"
💼 "Working from home is better than working in an office"
🌍 "English should be the universal language"

Goal: Use a different phrase for each statement. Explain your reasoning!

Recall Zone

Lesson 22 (Hedging) + Lesson 27 (Acknowledging Views)

Click to test your memory!

From Lesson 22: What probability word means you're 70% confident?

"Should" or "is likely to"

Shows reasonable expectation, not guaranteed

From Lesson 27: How do you acknowledge someone else's point while disagreeing?

"You have a point, but..."

"That's true, however..."

"I see what you mean, but..."

From Lesson 22: What phrase helps hedge when you're 50% confident?

"might" or "could"

Perfect for genuine uncertainty

🎤 Combined Practice

Respond to a statement using HEDGING + ACKNOWLEDGING + DEGREES OF CERTAINTY:

"Don't you think remote work is better than office work?"

Try: "I partly agree... but I have mixed feelings... You might be right, but I'm not entirely convinced..."

Self-Check

📋 Today's "I Can" Statement

I can express different levels of agreement and show degrees of certainty

How confident do you feel?

1 = Need more practice | 5 = I've got this!

Quick Review: The Agreement Scale

100%: I completely agree that...

75%: I partly agree, but...

50%: I have mixed feelings about...

25%: I'm not entirely convinced that...

Personal conviction: I strongly believe...

Your Mission Before Lesson 40:

Listen for how native speakers respond to opinions - they rarely say "I agree" or "I disagree." Instead they use nuanced language. Start noticing these phrases!

← Lesson 38