I agree ... I am agree

Question

I know "I am agree" is grammatically incorrect.

.

The question is: Do native speakers use that form though it is not right? (maybe in a particular area?)... In less than a week I heard "I am not agree" twice, in a movie and chatting with a native American... so I wonder now...

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Thanks in advance!!

• in what movie did you hear it? - Mokay Mar 12, 2010
• Yes... What movie? - lalalandmach Mar 12, 2010
• Yeah I'd like to know too - TheSilentHer Mar 12, 2010
• It was on tv... I was changing channels... I've no idea, but I'll try to find out .... Thanks everybody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) - Benz Mar 13, 2010
• Thanks a lot everyone!!! :) - Benz Mar 22, 2010

Answer 1

found it!!!! The movie is "The last kiss". I also found that part on YouTube... minute 1.03. This is what I hear:

.

-What the f... were you thinking? did you just get bored?

-No, I'm just an idiot

-oh, on that much we're agreed

Am I wrong? Could you please, native speakers, tell me what he says?

You are exactly correct, Benz, that is what he says. I think it helps somewhat that he uses the tense that he does.

"We are agreed" doesn't seem as odd as "We are agree." But it still seems awkard if you ask me.

• Thank youuuuu Goyo!!!!!!!!!!! I thought I was going crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! jajajja... Big hug!! - Benz Mar 13, 2010
• Benz it is perfectly normal to me. - ian-hill Mar 13, 2010
• All explanations were really good and useful, but you answer my question. Thanks Goyo!! - Benz Mar 22, 2010

Answer 2

I can't say that I have ever heard anyone say that, but........

If you are talking about spoken English, I have heard people say something like

"Iamagree with you on that"; "Iamonna agree with you on that" or "I'magree with you on that"

...but what is occurring here is an elision or slurring together of words where the intended and correctly written sentence might be something like

• I'm going to agree with you on that [elision of the g + incorporation of schwa]

• I'm gonna agree with you on that [elision of gonn, leaving behind the unaccented "a" sound pronounced similar to the the "u" in the word "mud" (schwa)]

• I'm a agree with you on that

• I'magree with you on that

Phonetically, it might sound more like: Ím∙ə∙grē, Íəm'unə∙grē or Ím∙ə'əgrē

In this case the schwa sound that represents the word going to/gonna is sometimes run together with the schwa sound at the beginning of the word agree. Likely this is probably indistinguishable to you because you are not used to this type of speech pattern. (it is much the same with me in that before I realized that the "d" is often elided at the end of past participles, I had a lot of trouble figuring out what words people were saying when they would do this, but now that I am aware of this and know to expect it, I can often tell what word is being said now even with the elision occurring)

Let me just finish by saying that I am in no way advocating this type of speech (and definitely don't try to write this way), but I just wanted to point out that it is likely that what you are hearing is probably some type of elision somewhat along the lines of what I have described above.

• Great explanation! People do slur words together sometimes. Now that you mention it, I can remember hearing "I'magree with you on that." with the muffled "gonna" almost disappearing. - alba3 Mar 13, 2010
• I still have never heard it and really hope not to but your explanation is right on and I can see (hear) it happening. - Yeser007 Mar 13, 2010
• Thanks Izan!!! It was very helpful!!! - Benz Mar 13, 2010
• oh.. "I'm a agree" as in "I'm 'a(uh) agree"... I get it now, and yes, it is said a lot! - MeEncantanCa Mar 13, 2010

Answer 3

I've never heard anyone say that. Maybe, and this would also sound odd to me, someone might say, "I'm not agreed." or "I'm agreed."

Answer 4

I agree with Izanoni1's response. I have heard 'I'ma' etc. However, it is usually in the context of African American dialogue in movies or in song lyrics.

For example, the remake of the movie Fame begins with a remake of the song by the same name. The lyrics start with I'ma, I'ma, I'ma live forever.

You are correct, Benz, that it is not proper English and people do say it. Personally, it is like hearing fingernails on a chalkboard.

• I like the fingernail analogy. - Yeser007 Mar 13, 2010
• Thanks!! I liked Izan's explanation too... but what you said is what really attracted my attention "...it's not proper E, but people do say it" The same happens in Spanish... some people say "la calor", it's like fingernail on the board to my ears too!!! - Benz Mar 13, 2010

Answer 5

Can I say "They're agreed..."?

Apparently so. In all of these cases, "agreed" is used as an adjective, not a verb. So if you can say "we are agreed", you can also say "they are agreed." Reference 1Reference 2

• Yes - ian-hill Mar 13, 2010

Answer 6

'Are we agreed?' conveys the same meaning as 'Do we agree (with eachother)?' (as well as 'Are we in agreement (with eachother)?'

You can use these three ways for 'you', 'we' and 'they', but, as Ian says above, for some reason 'I am agreed' doesn't work!

This form of using 'agreed' has quite a strong business feel to it. You would find it most often in a business meeting or a courtroom where something is being discussed in order to reach (or conclude) an agreement. In this sense 'are we agreed?' replaces the question 'do we agree and can we finish the discussion?'

• This was a G R E A T explanation!!! Thanks a ton!! - Benz Mar 13, 2010

Answer 7

I know that we Americans can have some bad grammar, but I have never heard any one say "I am agree". My mom has also never heard this phrase.... Sorry.

Answer 8

i never heard anyone say that... and i think it would be kind of wierd if someone did. so to answer your question- no they don't.

Answer 9

I have never heard anyone say that either. I would like to know where you heard that.

Answer 10

I too have never heard that before. A person might say "I am in agreement" (I concur) or " I do not agree". Benz, you know I can't recite rules of grammar but I can tell you, "I am agree" doesn't even work it's way into the local color of any part of American English.

• jajaja I can't recite Spanish grammar either Gary!!! Thanks anyway! - Benz Mar 13, 2010

Answer 11

I personally have never heard that. "I do not agree" would be the correct negative form, I think.

Answer 12

"I am agree" is most definitely not correct, where did you hear that?

• I'm working on it Silent... give me some time :) - Benz Mar 13, 2010

Answer 13

Do they perhaps mean "I am agreeable" ? Which one could say , although it is a tad self congratulatory.

Answer 14

Omg!! I wish you were right, Benz, amiga, jeje

All my students say that!!

I am agree: Estoy de acuerdo------great!!!!!

But unfortunately, I never heard that either

• jajajaja... a very common mistake students do... I agree!!!!!!!!! :) - Benz Mar 13, 2010

Answer 15

Polish students of English usually say "I have (got) 10 years old" or "You have (got) right", as both phrases in my native language are made with the verb have (got).

• The same happens with Argentinian students of English Isaa... :) - Benz Mar 13, 2010