Accept means to take what is offered (an invitation, a gift, a job or an apology), while agree means to share someone's opinion or to say yes to something. Agree with is used about a person or an opinion, agree to do about saying yes to an action, and agree on about reaching a decision together: agree on a date.
accept or agree — can you pick the right one?
Pick a word and write a sentence — we'll check right away that it fits the meaning and explain any mistakes.
The check is taking longer than usual. Your feedback will appear here automatically.
accept + offer/invitation/apology/gift; accept that + clause; agree with + person/opinion; agree to + verb/request; agree on + plan/date
- I accepted the invitation to speak at the conference, although I was nervous.
- I completely agree with you: the new timetable is much more convenient.
- My landlord agreed to fix the heating before the winter.
What changed
First versionLast month I agreed with the job offer from a bank in Kazan.
RevisionLast month I accepted the job offer from a bank in Kazan.
Saying yes to an offer can feel like agreeing, but agree with means to share an opinion, and a job offer is not an opinion. Offers, invitations and gifts are accepted: accepted the job offer.
Accept that means to admit something or come to terms with it, often something unwelcome: I accept that I made a mistake. Agree that simply means to think the same: I agree that the plan is risky.
Your turn
After a long talk, my company ___ to pay for half of my English course.
Show the answer
agreed — The gap is followed by to pay, and saying yes to doing something is expressed with agree to + verb. Accepted to pay is a common mistake: accept is not followed by to + verb; it needs a noun (accepted the offer) or that.
Think of an invitation or offer you received recently. Say whether you accepted it and what you had to agree to.
I accepted my friend's invitation to go hiking, and I agreed to bring the tent and some food.
Learn to use new words without mistakes
Write phrases with the words you are learning. LetsWords shows mistakes in usage and grammar, suggests corrections and explains them, and review helps the words stick.