Anglický jazyk
9.1.1 Expressing opinions, agreement and disagreement
To say you agree or disagree with your partner in conversation and to say what you think is vital in any language. In English, there are various phrases how to do that. Let's look at expressing your own opinions first.
The most often used phrase will probably be “I think (that)“. But to use only this one would be a little boring. Let's spice up our vocabulary by some more useful phrases. There are a few that have a quite similar meaning to “I think (that)“:
I guess (that) ... Hádám, že ...
I reckon (that) ... Počítám, že ...
I bet (that) ... Vsadím se, že ...
I suppose (that) ... Předpokládám, že ...
I believe (that) ... Věřím, že ...
I feel (that) ... Cítím, že ...
I estimate (that) ... Odhaduji, že ...
I doubt (that) ... Pochybuji, že ...
In my opinion, ... Podle mého názoru ...
According to (what I think/what I read/my mum/these numbers/...) Podle (toho, co si myslím/co jsem četl/mámy/těchto čísel/...)
Expressing your own opinions is a monologue, but in a conversation you often need to react to what your partner is saying. You agree or not, and there are more than one way how to do that.
Of course, you can just plainly state that you agree with what he or she just said, but we can also use a grammar way.
Now this is a little complicated because it involves using auxiliary verbs. They are be and do, and modal verbs.
When we agree with a positive statement we can say “Me too,“ or “So [auxiliary/modal verb] [subject]“.
Examples:
A: I like bananas.
B: Me too. / So do I.
A: I can swim.
B: Me too. / So can I.
A: I am a nurse.
B: Me too. / So am I.
A: My father is a taxi driver.
B: Mine too. / So is my father. / So is mine. (Můj taky.)
When we agree with a negative statement we can say “Me neither,“ or “Neither/nor [auxiliary/modal verb] [subject]“ or “[Subject] [auxiliary/modal verb] either.
Examples:
A: I don't like beans.
B: Me neither. / Neither do I. / Nor do I. / I don't either.
A: I can't fly.
B: Me neither. / Neither can I. / Nor can I. / I can't either.
A: I'm not a superman.
B: Me neither. / Neither am I. / Nor am I. / I'm not either.
A: My great grandmother isn't alive anymore.
B: Mine neither. / Neither/nor is my great grandmother. / Neither/nor is mine. / My great grandmother isn't either. / Mine isn't either.
Now let's look at disagreeing. When you disagree with a negative statement you simply say you do something (compared to your partner who does not do it). And when you disagree with a positive statement you say you do not do it (compared to the partner who does). It works the same with the modal verbs. You can see that the logic is very clear.
A: I don't like beans.
B: Oh, I do.
A: I can't fly.
B: Oh, I can.
A: I'm not a superman.
B: I am!
A: My great grandmother isn't alive anymore.
B: Oh, mine is. / My great grandmother is.
A: I like bananas.
B: I don't.
A: I can swim.
B: Oh, I can't.
A: I am a nurse.
B: I'm not.
A: My father is a taxi driver.
B: My father isn't. / Mine isn't.
If you're replying to a question and want to express your agreement, you can say “I think so.“ If you want to disagree, say “I don't think so.“
Don't ever say anything like “I think that yes.“ It is a typical mistake, but this phrase does NOT exist in English!
There are other similar phrases like:
I expect so / I don't expect so
I hope so / I hope not
I'm afraid so / I'm afraid not
I guess so / I guess not
I suppose so / I don't suppose so / I suppose not