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Let's assume you and someone else (say: Dr. Adam) are giving speech in a meeting. Dr. Adam says something and after his remarks and statements, you'd like to say:

  1. I accept Dr. Adam's statements and as a proof to this fact I would like to say that...**

Note: here you just want to approve Dr. Adam's statements and add some and continue your own words and where the emphasis is on "approval" rather than "expansion"? Also, I need to start the sentence with "to"! "To approve what Dr. Adam mentioned..." or "in order to approve what Dr. Adam mentioned..."

Or

  1. I accept Dr. Adam's words and just in order to add some more points to his previously mentioned statements I would like to say that...

How can you summarize the above phrases using an idiom or expression?

E.g. regarding #2. I know the structure: "To amplify one's statements", which I don't know whether it encompasses all my intention.

Please kindly let me know about them.

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  • You seem to have the answer in the title "I'd like to expand on what Dr Adam said..."
    – James K
    Sep 7, 2019 at 14:29
  • Thank you @James K. So I have already received the answer to the second question. Just what about the fist one where you just want to approve Dr. Adam's statements and add some and continue your own words and where the emphasis is on "approval" rather than "expansion"? Also, I need to start the sentence with "to"! "To approve what Dr. Adam mentioned..." or "in order to approve what Dr. Adam mentioned..."
    – A-friend
    Sep 7, 2019 at 15:15

1 Answer 1

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When you announce that you accept something, that statement normally marks your acceptance. In other words, someone has just convinced you of a fact with their evidence, and you now accept it to be true. If you then go on to say "and here's some further proof...", that doesn't make any sense - if you already had proof, why did you only just accept it?

When someone says something that you already know or believe, you normally say:

  • "I agree with this", or
  • "I support this".

It would make a lot more sense if you said:

I agree with Dr. Adam's statements and as a proof to this fact I would like to say that... [add supporting evidence]

In formal settings, such as meetings or debates, a common expression is:

"I second that".

This shows that you agree with the previous statement. You could go on to add further detail of your own.

If it is quite clear you are already in agreement with the previous speaker, you could just speak as if you are continuing on from them by opening with:

Further to Dr Adam's statement, I would like to add that...

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  • Thank you @Astralbee, just what about "to endorse Dr. Adam's [theories/statements], I would add..." or "to amplify what Dr. Adam has just said, I'd like to add..." or "to expand on what Dr. Adam has just said, I'd like to add..." or "to echo what Dr. Adam has just said, I'd like to add..."? Do they all work? How they differ?
    – A-friend
    Sep 12, 2019 at 14:22
  • 1
    Perhaps "I endorse" rather than "to endorse"... otherwise, yes any of those. "To expand on" is particularly apt if you are giving new or additional information.
    – Astralbee
    Sep 13, 2019 at 9:21
  • But @Astralbee I think "to amplify" is used in the same way as "to expand on" (I mean in order to give more information.) If I'm not mistaken, they are both used when you are respectfully (almost indirectly) approving the other speaker's statements and are going to add more information to his statements. If so, you are saying: "I see eye to eye with Dr. Adam, just I have to add some points to complete his statements from my own point of view." Right? Do they both mean something like this?
    – A-friend
    Sep 13, 2019 at 12:03
  • 1
    @A-friend Yes, "amplify" also means to expand on, or enlarge upon, or add detail to a story or statement. My point is that if you are following another speaker and you have all this detail ready to expand upon their points then I would perceive you to already be in agreement, and I found that a little at odds with the phrase "I accept...", for the reasons in my answer.
    – Astralbee
    Sep 13, 2019 at 14:51

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