I agree to/with his proposal

[Untaught88]

a) I agree to his proposal.
b) I agree with his proposal.

I think "b" is correct but I can't understand why "a" is incorrect if it is incorrect.

 

[Tarheel]

I have only seen "to" used in the past tense, thus: I agreed to his proposal.

 

[jutfrank]

a) is right and b) is wrong.

I presume the idea is that the speaker gave his consent to whatever was proposed.

 

[teechar]

and b) is wrong.

I disagree.

I presume the idea is that the speaker gave his consent to whatever was proposed.

How do you know that? Perhaps the speaker was just making a comment/providing an opinion.

 

[jutfrank]

How do you know that? Perhaps the speaker was just making a comment/providing an opinion.

Right. I'm guessing the meaning. I thought that was clear enough from my post. Don't you agree that my interpretation is more likely than what you suggest?

Untaught88, do you want to tell us where you saw this particular sentence pair or whether you wrote the sentences yourself? You have to make clear what you mean if you want us to tell you with confidence whether what you say is correct.

 

[Flask]

a) I agree to his proposal.
b) I agree with his proposal.

l think that each can be used, but in different types of context. For example:

If his proposal is a course of action (that certain things be done), then it is something one could agree to.

If his proposal is that a phenomenon can be explained in a given way, then it is something one could agree with.

 

[jutfrank]

I don't think we disagree that both make sense, but I'm wondering what members think makes the most sense given the paucity of context. Isn't that what this is about?

 

[5jj]

I don't think we disagree that both make sense, but I'm wondering what members think makes the most sense given the paucity of context. Isn't that what this is about?

No. We were asked whether a was incorrect.

 

[jutfrank]

No. We were asked whether a was incorrect.

I presume it's incorrect because it's the wrong answer to the question. I'm guessing this is a terrible question on some kind of awful test that the OP found somewhere.

If it's the case that the OP was trying to express an independent thought, then one of the two sentences is incorrect in the sense that it's not the right preposition used to express that meaning.

What do you think 'incorrect' means, teechar/5jj? Are we arguing over what members mean when they use the word 'correct'? Still?

 

[Untaught88]

Right. I'm guessing the meaning. I thought that was clear enough from my post. Don't you agree that my interpretation is more likely than what you suggest?

Untaught88, do you want to tell us where you saw this particular sentence pair or whether you wrote the sentences yourself? You have to make clear what you mean if you want us to tell you with confidence whether what you say is correct.

In the past, I read somewhere that "with" is used when you agree with someone and "to" is used when you agree to a proposal. I wanted to confirm it.

 

[Tarheel]

For somebody to agree to my proposal I would have to first make that proposal. Then they could agree to it or not. For example, I might want you to do something. If you are willing and able to do it then you agree to do it. I'm not sure how to work "proposal" into that conversation. You go first.

 

[Tarheel]

Can you use the word "proposal" in a conversation? You certainly can! (See below.)

Abe: I have a proposal.
Bob: Let's hear it!

Will the word "proposal" ever pop up again in that conversation? (Maybe. Maybe not.)

 

[jutfrank]

In the past, I read somewhere that "with" is used when you agree with someone and "to" is used when you agree to a proposal. I wanted to confirm it.

Okay, but read your post #1 again and tell me if you really think you asked the question well. I don't think any of the experts here understood what you were thinking.

 

[Untaught88]

Okay, but read your post #1 again and tell me if you really think you asked the question well. I don't think any of the experts here understood what you were thinking.

If "I agree to his proposal" is totally wrong, please tell me how to use it then. How does a native speaker use such sentences?

 

[Tarheel]

I don't think anybody said it's totally wrong.

Did somebody make a proposal, and did you agree to it?

Perhaps:

He made a proposal, and I agreed with it.

Offhand, I can't see myself saying I agreed to somebody's proposal, but I wouldn't say it's wrong.

Has somebody made a proposal, and you can't decide if you agree with it or not?

 

[Flask]

In the past, I read somewhere that "with" is used when you agree with someone and "to" is used when you agree to a proposal. I wanted to confirm it.

What makes this topic tricky is that there are (at least) two different senses of "agree" (related to distinct speech acts) that can be involved, as well as (at least) two different senses of "proposal," and, without context, we grope in the dark as to the desired meaning. "To" works with one combination of these terms' senses, and "with" with another.

If "agree" means "consent (to)," and "proposal" refers to something specifying a set of actions to be performed, then one agrees to the proposal. This is the (a) reading. "With" makes no sense in this type of context. One can consent to something, but not consent with something.

However, if "agree" means "concur (with)," and "proposal" refers to something that describes the way things are (or were) or could be (or could have been), then one can agree with the proposal. This is the (b) reading. "To" makes no sense in this type of context. One can concur with something (or someone), but not concur to something.

 

[jutfrank]

I have even less of an idea of what the original question is than I had before.

In the past, I read somewhere that "with" is used when you agree with someone and "to" is used when you agree to a proposal. I wanted to confirm it.

I think you're saying here that with the pattern 'agree to something', in the sense of giving consent, using the context of a proposal makes for a good example, because you can consent to proposed action. That's what I thought you meant in your original post #1, which is why I said a) is correct and b) is incorrect. In other words, I thought you meant a) and not b).

If "I agree to his proposal" is totally wrong

Nobody here has said that it's wrong. In fact, I said that a) is right and that sentence b) is wrong. Some of the others apparently mistakenly thought I meant that b) is ungrammatical. (It isn't.)

please tell me how to use it then. How does a native speaker use such sentences?

Hopefully, Flask's post #16 has cleared this up for you.

In future, please be more careful when asking your questions. If we don't understand what your question is, we can't answer it properly, and we'll waste everyone's time. Always tell us where you came across any sentences you ask about or whether you made them up yourself. And if you do make sentences up yourself, make sure you tell us what you're trying to express. Thank you.