23
Agreeing A
Coming to an agreement Toby
So the first thing on the agenda today is nailing down1 the plan for next month’s launch party.
Magda
Well, what happened at the senior management meeting? Did our budget request go through2?
Toby
Yes, it did. A couple of them didn’t want to agree to it at first, so I had to explain about the plans to invite local business leaders and other influential people. I had to leave before the end, but apparently they arrived at a unanimous decision and approved the budget.
Kate
Great. Well, Jon and I have already hammered out3 a deal with a venue just down the road. The boss at the Olive Bistro can give us a great price.
Magda
Shouldn’t it be somewhere a little more upmarket?
Kate
I don’t think you should rule it out4 until you see it. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but they have done a great job with the recent refurbishment.
Toby
We don’t have to settle on5 the venue right now. We just need to come to an agreement by the end of the week. Maybe a couple of us should go and have a look at the Olive Bistro tomorrow morning. Magda, can I count you in6?
Magda
Yes, OK. And what about entertainment? At the last meeting Nigel was very keen on having a DJ. Do we all want to go along with7 that?
1
5
2
6
making a decision about all the details of something be approved by an official authority 3 reached an agreement after a long discussion 4 say no to something
B
agree on include a person in a plan or activity (opposite: count someone out)
7
agree with someone’s idea or opinion
Agreeing after disagreeing
At first only Tania and I liked the blue design best, but we gradually won the others round¹. Ben wasn’t sure about joining the special project team at the beginning, but I managed to talk him round2 in the end. It took a while to persuade my line manager to send me on the business management course, but she gave in3 eventually! When we first moved to an open-plan office, I didn’t really like it. But I’ve come round to⁴ it now, as it has improved communication in the team. The Board have finally backed down⁵ over their proposals to restructure the department. The management had to bow to6 pressure from the unions and give the pay rise they promised. She wanted to work in London originally, but in the end she had to settle for⁷ the regional office. Two of the team had a big disagreement and weren’t talking to each other for a few days. Fortunately, they seem to have smoothed things over⁸ this morning. 1
5
2
6
persuaded (can also be win over) persuade 3 agree after initially refusing 4 changed my opinion
Tip
admitted they were wrong and changed their minds do something you don’t want to do (another way to say this is bend to) 7 agree to something which isn’t your first choice 8 made a problem less serious
If we persuade someone not to do something, we talk them out of something. He wanted to have a party while his parents were away, but I talked him out of it. 50
English Phrasal Verbs in Use Advanced
