AEE 2555: Capture the Connection When You Agree with Someone in English

Summary

All Ears English Podcast – Episode 2555: "Capture the Connection When You Agree with Someone in English"

Hosts: Lindsay McMahon & Michelle Kaplan
Date: January 27, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on helping ESL learners master the art of expressing agreement in English conversation. Lindsay and Michelle dive into the vocabulary and phrases that signal connection and common ground—crucial skills for building rapport in everyday social situations. The main focus is on diverse, natural ways to agree—beyond just “me too”—and on using these moments to deepen conversations and relationships.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Power of Agreement in Connection

• Agreement acts as a “connection moment” (03:14), helping speakers bond over shared opinions, interests, and experiences.
• “We connect with people by sharing our opinions, our interests, right? Trying to find things in common. So this is really about agreeing and finding common ground.” – Michelle (04:15)

Common Phrases to Express Agreement

1. "Me too"

• The most basic and direct way to show you agree or share the same feeling/experience.
• Example:
  • A: "I really love this restaurant."
  • B: “Me too. It’s delicious.” (05:36)

2. "Same here"

• Slightly less direct, but natural and conversational.
• Example:
  • A: "I love this song."
  • B: "Same here." (06:24)

3. "So do I"/"So are we"

• Used to agree with positive statements (especially for requests or shared habits).
• Example:
  • A: "I want to stop for coffee."
  • B: "So do I. I'm exhausted." (06:36)

4. "Neither do I" / "Me neither"

• “Neither do I”: Used to agree with negative statements.
• “Me neither”: Informal, casual, equivalent to “neither do I.”
• Example:
  • A: "I don’t think we need to leave early."
  • B: "Neither do I. The traffic is pretty calm at 11:00 a.m." (08:51)
  • A: "I don’t usually make phone calls."
  • B: "Me neither. I prefer to text." (12:55)

5. Pronunciation Options for "Either/Neither"

• Both “ee-ther/nee-ther” and “eye-ther/nye-ther” are correct; just pick your favorite. (07:09–08:00)
• Memorable moment: Michelle jokes about being “ambidextrous” with either pronunciation. (07:23)

6. "Neither am I," "Neither is he," etc.

• Use with the verb "to be" to match the sentence structure.
• Example:
  • A: "I’m not going to the party."
  • B: "Neither am I. It’s too late." (14:33)

Grammar Tips and Common Errors

• “Either do I” is not used—it’s not grammatically correct. Use “Neither do I” instead for negatives. (08:18)
• When agreeing, always match the grammar: i.e., verb tense/form must align ("do", "am", etc.). (14:48)
• Distinction: The term “negative sentence” refers to the grammatical negative (not a negative opinion). (14:56)

Using Agreement to Build Conversation

• Don’t just say “me too” and end the conversation; use that moment to add more or ask questions.
• “Normally you wouldn’t just say, me too, and then be quiet. You would say something.” – Lindsay (16:42)
• These small phrases help “get the ball rolling” for deeper conversations and new friendships. (18:33)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It means I agree with you. Like, I see that thing the same way that you do. Uh, it's the same for me. I feel the same. I've experienced the same thing you have... It is a connection moment.” – Lindsay (04:32)
• "Me neither is... the same idea as neither do I. But you will hear people say me neither. It's less formal. It's more conversational." – Michelle (11:46)
• “We could say they punch above their weight. Right? They punch above their weight.” – Lindsay, introducing a new idiom and topic for a future episode. (18:52)
• “These are really kind of teeny, tiny little phrases, they're very important and can really help you build that connection.” – Michelle (18:33)
• Lighthearted banter about preference for texting vs. calling, adding human connection and cultural nuance to the language tips. (13:04–13:51)

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• [03:14]: Listener question introduction
• [04:32]: Explaining the meaning and importance of “Me too”
• [06:12]: Introducing “Same here” and “So do I”
• [07:09–08:00]: Pronunciation of “either/neither”
• [08:18]: Why “Either do I” isn’t used
• [08:51]: Role-play using “Neither do I”
• [11:46]: Introduction of “Me neither”
• [14:33]: Use of “Neither am I” (with “to be”)
• [15:54]: Extended party role-play using all agreement phrases
• [18:33]: Reflection on how agreement fosters deeper connections
• [19:19–19:48]: Key takeaway: Don’t stop at agreement—keep the conversation going!

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Summary Takeaways

• Use a variety of agreement phrases ("me too," "same here," "so do I," "neither do I," "me neither"), and match the grammar and tone to the context.
• These phrases, while small, are fundamental for building rapport—they punch above their weight.
• After expressing agreement, add more or ask a question to deepen the conversation and connection.
• Don’t overthink pronunciation (“either/neither”). Pick what feels comfortable.
• These moments of agreement are opportunities—make the most of them in building relationships and practicing your English!

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For further practice: Check out their recommended episode “Learning English is not like pulling teeth” to learn more idioms for conversation (19:12).

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The episode’s tone is friendly, upbeat, and practical—encouraging ESL learners to focus on connection, not perfection, and to enjoy the nuance and fun in everyday English.

Transcript

[A]

This is an All Ears English podcast. Episode 2555. Capture the Connection when you agree with someone in English. Welcome to the All Ears English podcast. Downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection, with your American hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Colorado and New York City, usa. To get real time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try the All Ears English app for iOS and Android. Start your seven day free trial at allearsenglish.com forward/app.

[B]

There are moments in life when someone says something and you completely agree with them. Today, get key vocabulary and simple vocabulary to show that you agree and then keep talking for the best connection moment.

[A]

You already speak English, but does it sound the way you want it to? Do you understand conversations but hesitate when it's time to jump in? Do you know what to say but the words don't come out naturally? Do fast conversations still make you feel a little unsure of yourself? If that sounds familiar, you may be stuck. This year it's time to upgrade your English from good enough to powerful. The Allers English B2C1 bundle helps you speak clearly, confidently and naturally in real conversations. Plus, you'll be invited to our weekly speaking club to put what you learn into action. You can save up to $200 this week only, but the offer ends soon. Go to allearsenglish.com B2C1. That's allearsenglish.com B number 2C number 1. Hello, Michelle. How's it going today?

[B]

I'm good, Lindsay. Lindsay, do you love good sales?

[A]

Of course. Yes.

[B]

Me too. I. I get so excited when there's a good sale. And of course now with the holidays, there's been good sales. Did you. Have you. Did you buy anything over the holidays? Maybe Black Friday?

[A]

Yeah, I did. I bought a few things. Not so much Black Friday, but more, you know, the weeks after that I went Christmas shopping in stores and, and online and. Yeah, who doesn't love a good sale? Michelle?

[B]

Yeah, exactly. So today we are going to answer a really great listener question.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

So y. Yeah, this is, this is going to be a good one. Very important. This is from this listener asked this on YouTube. So guys, if you haven't checked out our YouTube channel, definitely go on over. Search Allers English on YouTube and you can see our episodes over there and then hit subscribe. Lindsay, would you like to read the.

[A]

Question I would love to. Here is our question. Hi, Aubrey, Lindsay and Michelle. I'm sot from Istanbul, Turkey. I want to go to Turkey, by the way, so bad. Thank you for accompanying me on my morning jogs every day. Oh, this is so nice. Allers English listeners are not just listeners, they are also observers. I have a question because there's a real connection point here. In the episode, are you slaying English at 13:26? One of you says, I love Johnny Depp. And the other responds, me too. Connection is essential here. So could you explain expressions like me too, Neither do I, either do I, etc, because they all express shared opinions, experiences, or feelings. Thank you in advance. Yeah, I love that this listener is so tuned in to connection like we are Michelle.

[B]

Yes, definitely in this. This is huge. I mean, this is a really good episode for connection. I think this could be one of our top connection episodes.

[A]

Yes. I can't wait. Really? Yeah.

[B]

So, I mean, because we connect with people by sharing our opinions, our interests. Right. Trying to find things in common. So this is really about agreeing and finding common ground.

[A]

Oh, my gosh. Totally. Totally.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, Lindsay, so what does me too mean?

[A]

It means I agree with you. Like, I see that thing the same way that you do. Uh, it's the same for me. I feel the same. I've experienced the same thing you have. Which the. The listener is totally right. It is a connection moment.

[B]

Such a big connection moment. So we are going to talk more about this in just a second, but first we want to say thank you so much to those have reviewed us in our iOS app.

[A]

Yes, I noticed we've had some wonderful reviews in the iOS app in the last few months. So I want to say a huge thank you to Kitty Japan. A huge thank you to no Brightly as well as Afnan from Saudi Arabia and Jerusaya from not sure where that student is from, but thank you for your amazing reviews. These are great. Michelle, fantastic.

[B]

Thank you very, very much. We really appreciate it, guys.

[A]

You do.

[B]

So, all right, let's get into it. So let's do. We're gonna do a couple role plays here so you can see how it's used.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

All right, here we go.

[A]

Here we go. I really love this restaurant.

[B]

Me too. It's delicious. Okay. Or this one. I know, Lindsay, you agree with me.

[A]

We've talked about pink. Yeah.

[B]

I think pink is underrated.

[A]

Oh, me too.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And clearly we would continue the conversation here. Right. There would be some follow up. But this just immediately gives you to agree and show the person you see the world in the same way.

[B]

Yes. Yes, exactly. So what? So me too. That's kind of one of the basic ones, but we can also use others. So another one would be same here. Right.

[A]

I love this idea of expanding out, moving beyond just me too. Me too is good. But that's your starting point. There are other things we can say. So let's show. Let's show our listeners this one. I love this song.

[B]

Oh, same here.

[A]

Good. Yes. Yeah.

[B]

Just another tool. Yeah. So another one you can say is so do I. Or if it's more than one person, you could say, so are we.

[A]

So, for example, I want to stop for coffee.

[B]

Oh, so do I. I'm exhausted.

[A]

Nice. I love buying coffee. Buying lattes on the weekend. I'm so bad at that. I do it all the time.

[B]

Yeah, it's.

[A]

It's.

[B]

It's that ritual. It is the best.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

But yeah. So the listener also asked about neither do I and either do I. So what's interesting is, Lindsay, when you were reading the question, are you. Are you an either and an either person or neither and either.

[A]

This is a pronunciation question, right? Good question. Or I. Oh, my gosh. I think I'm more of an either. Neither.

[B]

Okay. Because when you read the question, you were an either neither, I guess.

[A]

And I guess I'm. What do you say? Ambidextrous? I don't know.

[B]

Yeah, I guess you can do either.

[A]

You could do. Oh, boom. But I'm saying nice.

[B]

I'm an either neither.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

All right. So, guys, you will. Sorry, because this may have gotten confusing. So these words are spelled N e I T H, E r. That's neither. And either is E I, T H e r. Now, some people pronounce that with a E sound.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And some people pronounce it with an I sound. And neither one is right or wrong. It's just what you're used to. So don't. So pick your favorite and go with it. That's what.

[A]

Or mix it up, keep it interesting. You know, you could do whatever you want. I love when we have options when it comes to pronunciation, but this phrase, Michelle, feels a little strange to me is either. I mean, this idea of either do I, Is that something we actually say grammatically in English?

[B]

No, we. We're not going to say either do I. That one doesn't work. But what about neither do I?

[A]

Neither do I. Neither do I. Totally cool. Yes.

[B]

Yes. So we use neither do I when we agree with someone who is saying something with a negative. Okay. So it doesn't mean they are saying something negative necessarily. It's not like oh, if they say something bad, but that they have a negative in the sentence. Okay, so let's do some mini role plays here.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I don't think we need to leave early.

[A]

Neither do I. The traffic is pretty calm at 11:00am okay, so you've said something. You've.

[B]

You.

[A]

You've formed your sentence in the negative and I agree with you. Right, Michelle? Yeah.

[B]

So you could have said. I mean, another way of saying the same thing was. Would be if I said I think we can leave a little later and then you could say me too.

[A]

Me too. Same here. Right?

[B]

Same here. Right. In. In that area. But since I had it in the negative, you're gon gonna use a neither. Let's do another example.

[A]

Okay. I don't really like her new album.

[B]

Neither do I. I miss her old style.

[A]

And again, I formed my statement in the negative and you agree. So you're gonna say neither do I or neither do I. Right, Michelle?

[B]

Yes, exactly. And it doesn't. Just because it's a neither. It doesn't like it's. We're actually agreeing here, right? Right.

[A]

Yes. Don't get confused. We are on the same page. This episode is all about how to be on the same page, right? Exactly.

[B]

Okay, we're gonna go over some more of these after the break.

[A]

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[B]

Me neither is. It's kind of the opposite of me too. And it's also. Really. It's the same idea as neither do I. But you will hear people say me neither. It's less formal. It's more conversational. I think you would not really write me neither. Like, I think either do. Right. I would say that neither do I. Neither am I. Right. Those are probably better for writing.

[A]

I mean, you might.

[B]

You might hear me.

[A]

You'll hear it. Might write it in a text message. Right. Because text messages are basically just speaking. Yeah. Yeah. But the weird thing about this, though, is we. We said earlier that we have options with neither Neither. But I never hear someone say me neither, neither. I don't hear that. True.

[B]

Yeah, because. Yeah, that would. Yeah, Yeah. I would say for Me neither. I would not. I would just go with the E sound.

[A]

Exactly. So there are some constraints to those options. You have, guys, a very kind of colloquial thing. Native and natural thing. It's a little secret here, right?

[B]

Yes, exactly. So here we go. Here's how it would be. Is I don't usually make phone calls.

[A]

Me neither. I prefer to text. Is this you, Michelle? Are you someone that would rather text someone or do you like to get on the phone and call someone?

[B]

It depends. Like, yeah, sometimes, like for work stuff. You know, I. I remember with Jessica, I used to just call her if I was confused about something and. Or, I mean.

[A]

Or.

[B]

Yeah, if I'll text with Aubry, I've called you. You know, if there's something. Sometimes I just feel like it's just.

[A]

Easier to just want an answer. Yeah, no, I agree. Faster.

[B]

But if there's. But like, I'll notice with my friends, we'll be texting, texting, texting. And then if you're making plans all of a sudden, things are getting a little confusing. I'll call or my friend will call and they'll say, and. And you always hear them say something like, oh, I just figure it'd be. It would be easier to talk on the phone. Right.

[A]

Right. Yeah. You have to say something. Like, when you've been in a long text chain, you decide to. Yeah, yeah. You kind of have to say something of, why did you call? Right.

[B]

That'd be a fun. And a fun other episode.

[A]

It would be a fun one. Yeah, I like that idea. Guys, hit the follow button. Coming up in January, February. We'll have some great episodes for you.

[B]

Yes, exactly. So could. So I said, I don't usually make phone calls. Could you have also said, neither do.

[A]

I. I don't usually make phone calls. Neither do I. I like that.

[B]

We could say that would be fine as well.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So then there's also neither am I. Right. So we can use it with am is right. So neither am I. Neither is he. Neither is she. Neither are we. Right. So used with to be. So you can do that as well. So here's an example. I'm not going to the party.

[A]

Neither am I. It's too late.

[B]

Yeah, right.

[A]

Love that. So.

[B]

So you have to match it. You. It has to match, you know, like that. Because I said I'm right, so you're not. I wouldn't say, I'm not going to the party. And then you would say, neither do I.

[A]

Right.

[B]

It doesn't work. It has to match with the.

[A]

To be the grammar form that you're using. The key verb here needs to match. Good. Good point. What else do we need to know here, Michelle?

[B]

Yeah. So again, just to clarify, when we say negative sentence, again, we don't mean a negative opinion. We just mean a sentence that uses a negative. Right, Right. So I'm not doing this. I don't like, like this. Right, right. That uses a negative. Yeah, Like. So, for example, you can say. And we've talked about this, you could say, I hate olives, which is a negative thing. But the answer would be if you.

[A]

Well, for me, I would never say me too.

[B]

I know, but.

[A]

Yeah, but if you also are an olivator, you could save me too.

[B]

Right, Right. Because it's still a sentence that is in the positive.

[A]

Yeah. Oh, Michelle, I. I really want you to, like, try all on the planet so you could find an olive that you love. There has to be an olive for you.

[B]

I mean, an olive for me.

[A]

There's Kalamata. There's so many different kinds out there, right? No. Okay. All right. No takers. No takers. All right, let's go into a role play here. What are we doing here?

[B]

Okay, so here we are. Acquaintances at a mutual friend's party.

[A]

Okay, here we go.

[B]

Wow. This party is amazing. I love the decorations.

[A]

Me too. They really outdid themselves this year. I am terrible with decorating.

[B]

Oh, same here. I have no talent for that.

[A]

Oh, neither do I. I'm Amazed by people who do, though. Are you traveling for the holidays?

[B]

No, not this year.

[A]

Neither are we. We are staying put. We're saving up for a summer vacation.

[B]

Oh, so are we.

[A]

Nice. Okay. So we're finding, you know, the connection piece here is we're finding what we have in common.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And how we see the world the same way and maybe where we differ in some cases.

[B]

Right. All right. Yep, Yep. Exactly. So I said, this party is amazing. I love the decorations. And you said, me too.

[A]

Right. I agree with you. Right. And then I'm making an additional comment. Normally you wouldn't just say, me too, and then be quiet. You would say something.

[B]

Yeah. Right, Right.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

If you want to continue it on. Right. Then you gotta keep talking.

[A]

For sure. And then I said, I'm terrible with decorating. I'm making like I'm revealing something, that I wouldn't be able to do this well. And you're saying, oh, same here. I have no talent that.

[B]

Right. And, yeah, this is. This is good because it. I could. You could have said, oh, me too. Right. But we just said, me too. So here we have some more options. So that's really good. And then. So I said, I have no talent for that. Which is true. And then you said, oh, neither do I. Right. So again, we're. We have a negative. So now we're moving into neither.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And we're using the verb to do.

[A]

Right. And then I said, are you traveling for the holidays? And you said, no, not this year. And then I agreed with you.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I said, in our case, the case is same for us. Right. Neither are we. Right.

[B]

Yeah. You wouldn't say, me too. Right.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Right. You know, so that wouldn't really work there because of the negative.

[A]

No. Yeah.

[B]

And then you said, we are saving up for a summer vacation. And I said, so are we?

[A]

Nice. Nice. Yeah. So it seems like we. We align on a lot of things which could make us think, like, we want to become better friends. Right. Because we're acquaintances. Maybe we'll be. I mean, we do. It is true that we tend to make friends with people that are sometimes similar to us, not always. And we want to have a big diversity of friends in our circle. But the people that see life in the same way, that's why we become friends with them sometimes. Right.

[B]

And this will just lead you to more and more things that you find in common.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

You know, once the ball get rolling, you know, then it can be, oh, me too. Oh, wow, that's the same for me. Right. Everything starts Moving. So, guys, huge, huge, huge for connection. I don't think we can stress that enough. Even though these are really kind of teeny, tiny little phrases, they're very important and can really help you build that connection.

[A]

Yeah. We could say they punch above their weight. Right? They punch above their weight. Also a good episode topic for another day for that expression. Guys, go find the next episode. A great one to go check out is this was a Saturday episode. Learning English is not like pulling teeth. So go find out what the expression it's like pulling teeth even means.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Has nothing to do with dental work. Okay. And we'll see you guys over there. All right.

[B]

Yes. All right. Take away. I think we already mentioned it. Guys. Go for that connection point. Try and find ways to keep talking with people. And another good point, which Lindsay brought up a lot was, you know, don't just say me too, and then look, look in the other direction. Right. This is your chance.

[A]

This is your chance.

[B]

This is your real chance to start building those connections. So make sure that you try and add as much as possible. Share yourself, share information on your opinions, all sorts of things, and that's going to help you really connect with people.

[A]

Totally agree. Take advantage of these moments when you see that connection, opportunity. There are other times in life when we show up at a party and we feel we have nothing in common with anyone. They say things and we're like, oh, that's really different from my perspective. And we don't really know what to say. Right. But these are moments when there is a lot of material there. So say something. Right.

[B]

Love it. Exactly.

[A]

Excellent.

[B]

All right, I'll see you soon, Lindsay.

[A]

Have a good day. Talk soon.

[B]

Bye. All right, bye.

[A]

Thanks for listening. To all ears. English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our Teacher 2 Minute Quiz. Go to allearsenglish. Com fluencyscore. And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time.