Read & Listen: Disagreeing Politely
OVERVIEW
On this page, you will learn about how to disagree politely.
- First, read the text and listen to the audio.
- Then, study the phrases and listen to the examples.
READ & LISTEN
Image Links to an external site. by Ashish_Choudhary, CC0 Links to an external site.
Read:
When you disagree with someone, or there is conflict, it is important to be able to express your opinion and feelings in a polite way. Sometimes we need or want to tell someone we do not agree with them. This is called disagreeing.
Imagine someone says to you: "People from your country always wear too much perfume." How do you feel? Is it true? Do you agree? How do you tell them it is not correct?
Which reply do you think is best? Choose one from the list:
Option 1) No way, YOU are totally wrong!
Option 2) You don't know what you are talking about.
Option 3) I'm sorry, but I disagree with that.
Option 3 is the best answer to show respect and be polite.
Listen:
Image Links to an external site. by Centrum Foundation, CC BY NC 2.0 Links to an external site.
Read:
Here are some different ways you can be polite and disagree. We often start with "I'm sorry but...." followed by
- I don't agree.
- I disagree.
- I'm not sure I agree with you.
- I respect your opinion, but __________.
One more note on disagreeing: your tone of voice matters. You want to be sure you don't sound angry.
Listen to these three (3) examples of people disagreeing:
READ ALONG WITH THE RECORDINGS Links to an external site.