Accept vs. Agree vs. Approve

These verbs are concerned with giving consent and saying 'yes' to something, but they are used with different connotations. Follow the lesson to find out more.

What is the difference between 'accept' and 'agree' and 'approve'?

All three verbs mean to say that you will do something or give consent for it to happen. However, 'agree' implies that the proposal is in alignment with your ideas, while 'accept' means to give consent to something even if it doesn't align with your ideas, and 'approve' refers to giving official consent for something to happen. This lesson will clarify this difference between the three verbs.

Difference in Emphasis

When you 'agree' to do something, it means that you express willingness to do something or give consent for someone else to do something because you believe it is a good idea or aligns with your own thoughts or values. 'Agreeing' often implies that you are satisfied with a particular course of action or decision or think that it is good enough. When you 'accept' something, it means you are content with what has happened or has been suggested, even if it does not completely align with your personal preferences or desires. 'Approve', on the other hand, means to give official or formal consent or authorization to something, such as a plan, action, request, or decision. It involves evaluating and finding something acceptable, satisfactory, or in accordance with certain standards, rules, or expectations and often implies granting permission or giving a positive evaluation from a position of power or authority. Here are some examples:

The board members agreed to increase the budget for marketing initiatives.

He agreed to the terms and conditions of the contract and signed it.

He accepted the terms and conditions of the contract and signed it.

'Accept' means to give consent to something even if you are not completely happy with it.

The jury accepted the evidence presented by the prosecution.

The supervisor approved the employee's request for a vacation.

After careful review, the committee approved the new policy changes.

'Approve' emphasizes giving permission from a position of power

After careful review, the committee agreed to the new policy changes.

'Agree' emphasizes giving consent to something because you are happy with it

After careful review, the committee accepted the new policy changes.

'Accept' emphasizes giving consent even if you are not happy with something

Grammatical Difference

'Accept' and 'approve' are transitive verbs that take a noun phrase as their object. 'Agree', on the other hand, can be transitive or intransitive. When it is used transitively, its object is typically a prepositional phrase with 'to' or a 'to- infinitive' clause. Take a look at some examples:

The board of directors approved the merger between the two companies.

'Approve' takes a noun phrase as its object.

The school accepted her request for a transfer to another class.

'Accept' takes a noun phrase as its object.

She proposed changing the date and time of the meeting and we all agreed.

'Agree' as an intransitive verb.

We agreed to meet at the restaurant at 7 p.m. for dinner.

'Agree' as a transitive verb with a 'to- infinitive' clause

During the negotiation, both parties agreed to the terms of the contract.

'Agree' as a transitive verb with a prepositional phrase as its object.

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