C1 Agreeing, Disagreeing and Softening

Agreeing, Disagreeing and Softening in Conversation

Review conversational discourse markers, softening expressions, and nuances of stance before completing the exercises below.

Classify each conversational phrase according to its primary function:

Choose the phrase that presents a personal opinion as if someone had asked for it.

Speaker A: Do you reckon the new design will attract younger clients?

Speaker B: ____, it's slightly too conventional to make a real impact.

Choose the phrase that explicitly marks the speaker’s personal standpoint.

Speaker A: We really ought to finalize the contract by Friday noon.

Speaker B: Well, ____, the terms are completely acceptable as they stand.

Choose the phrase that signals a newly recalled thought.

Speaker A: Did Mark leave his umbrella in the meeting room?

Speaker B: Actually, ____, he wasn't even carrying one this morning.

Choose the phrase that introduces the underlying obstacle to the proposal.

Speaker A: Can we move the product rollout to next Monday morning?

Speaker B: Well, ____, the development team hasn't run the final safety test yet.

Choose the phrase that explicitly signals candor before a negative assessment.

Speaker A: How did you find the keynote address at the seminar?

Speaker B: Well, ____, I thought it was rather drawn out and lacked practical takeaways.

Choose the phrase that adds a balancing qualification to the criticism.

Speaker A: This hotel is considerably pricier than our usual accommodation.

Speaker B: It certainly is; ____, the conference venue is situated directly across the street.

Situation: During a strategy meeting, a colleague suggests spending the entire marketing budget on a single influencer campaign. You want to express your reservation politely and offer a balanced critique. Choose the most natural and polite response:

Situation: A team member proposes bringing the client presentation forward by two weeks. You think the proposal is unrealistic because preparation is incomplete. Choose the most natural and polite response: