Agreeing and Disagreeing in Discussion
Express opinions and respond to others' views politely but assertively in a structured debate.
Por Stuart
Level
B2 · Upper-intermediate — 75 minutes.
Learning objectives
By the end of the lesson, students can:
- State and justify an opinion clearly.
- Agree, partially agree and disagree appropriately.
- Manage turn-taking in a discussion.
Can-do statement (CEFR B2)
"Can take an active part in discussion in familiar contexts, accounting for and sustaining their views."
Target language
- Opinion: As far as I'm concerned… / I'd argue that…
- Agreeing: That's a fair point. / I couldn't agree more.
- Partial: I see what you mean, but… / Up to a point, yes.
- Disagreeing politely: I'm not so sure about that. / With respect, I think…
- Hedging: tend to, arguably, to some extent
Warm-up (10 min)
A quick "opinion line": students stand along an agree–disagree line for three provocative statements and justify their position.
Presentation (15 min)
- Categorise functional phrases into agree / partial / disagree.
- Discuss register — why "You're wrong" rarely works in real discussion.
- Model intonation for polite disagreement.
Practice (20 min)
- Controlled: match responses to opinions.
- Guided: respond to ten opinion prompts using a different phrase each time.
Production (25 min)
Structured debate on a motion (e.g. "Remote work is better than office work"). Each side prepares two arguments; the teacher signals when to respond using target phrases. Finish with a vote and rationale.
Homework
Write a 150-word opinion paragraph on the debate motion, using at least one hedging device and one concession.
Teacher notes
Track which phrases each student over-relies on and push for variety in feedback.