11

I often see the following exchange on Internet forums:

A: (some proposition)

B: Agreed.

Why "agreed", not "agree"? Is it a contracted form of "have agreed" or the past simple? Is the form "agree" (I agree with you) acceptable too?

Improve this question

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
13

If you look up agreed in the Cambridge Dictionary, you will see that it is an adjective meaning accepted. If a person says an adjective on its own, it can mean something like "I am.." or "It is...". The omission of these words is an example of conversational deletion.

Doctor: How are you feeling?
Patient: [I am] Hungry!

Parent: How are you getting on with your homework?
Child: [It is] Done.

In this case, agreed on its own means "It is accepted".

agree is the verb form. If you use a verb on its own, it is an imperative: telling somebody to do something. So, if you simply say agree, you are telling the other person to agree with you.

Improve this answer
4
  • Wouldn't it just be it is agreed [upon] rather than substituting in "accepted"? I think accepted has a different meaning.
    – Element115
    Mar 3, 2018 at 7:54
  • @Element115 Think Of It More Like "It Is agreed [upon] between the two of us that 'X' is the case."
    – Timinycricket
    Mar 3, 2018 at 8:07
  • @Element115: I was thinking of the meaning to consider something or someone as satisfactory. dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/accept. Upon is not required: check the definitions I provided,
    – JavaLatte
    Mar 3, 2018 at 8:49
  • "Rarely seen such an completed answer! Let's give it more up votes, shall we?" "Agreed" youtube.com/watch?v=VAdLE-QqcBY
    – RayLuo
    Mar 9 at 20:33

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .