Can/Could/couldn't/can't- Disagree/agree with you more

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Anewcomer

#486108 Fri, 07 Mar 08 03:10 PM

Hi Teachers

Please help me to figure out what these phrases mean

1.I can agree with you more

2.I can't agree with you more

3.I can disagree with you more

4.I can't disagree with you more

5.I couldn't agree with you more

6.I couldn't disagree with you more

7.I could agree with you more

8.I could disagree with you more

What do the above phrases mean? Thanks

Anewcomer

Joined on Mon, Jan 28 2008

Full Member (167)

Yankee

#486134 Fri, 07 Mar 08 04:17 PM

Sentences 5 and 6 are commonly used expressions.

5. I couldn't agree with you more. => This means I agree with you completely. I agree 100%, and it's not possible to agree more than that.

6. I couldn't disagree with you more. => This means I disagree with you completely. I disagree 100%, and it's not possible to disagree more than that.

Sentence 2 might be used to mean the same thing as 5.

Sentences 1, 3, 4, 7, and 8 are not used as "standard" expressions, and without any further context, they only sound odd to me.

Yankee

Joined on Sat, Apr 15 2006

Connecticut, USA

Senior Member (4,514)

Amy "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain

Expressions

nona the brit

#486158 Fri, 07 Mar 08 05:05 PM

I agree that these are the only two options that are used in reality:

5.I couldn't agree with you more

6.I couldn't disagree with you more

The other options are just playing around with the language, but if no-one ever says those things, then why bother? They just sound very odd and are effectively meaningless.

nona the brit

Joined on Wed, Sep 22 2004

England

Veteran Member (11,502)

The name says it all.