Prepositional Phrases of Agreement and Similarity

Prepositional phrases of agreement and similarity help you connect ideas, show support, compare views and express shared understanding more clearly.

When you reach a more advanced level in English, it is not enough simply to know individual words. You also need to know how to connect ideas smoothly, naturally and precisely.

This is where prepositional phrases become extremely useful.

Prepositional phrases of agreement and similarity help you show that ideas, actions, opinions, policies or situations are connected in meaning. They are especially useful in formal writing, reports, essays, meetings, presentations and Cambridge B2 First and C1 Advanced tasks.

Compare these sentences:

The new rule matches company policy.
The new rule is in line with company policy.

The second sentence sounds more formal, precise and natural in professional or academic English.

In this lesson, you will learn useful prepositional phrases of agreement and similarity, including in agreement with, in line with, in accordance with, in keeping with, in common with and on the same page as.

What are prepositional phrases of agreement and similarity?

A prepositional phrase usually begins with a preposition and is followed by a noun, noun phrase or pronoun.

For example:

in agreement with the proposal
in line with the rules
in accordance with the law
in common with many students
in keeping with tradition

These phrases help us express agreement, support, similarity, consistency or shared understanding.

In agreement with

Meaning: having the same opinion, view or decision as someone else.

In agreement with is useful when people, groups or organisations share the same opinion.

The board was in agreement with the manager’s proposal to expand the business.

Learner note:

In everyday conversation, we often say agree with.

I agree with you.

In more formal writing, be in agreement with can sound more polished.

The committee was in agreement with the proposal.

In line with

Meaning: consistent with something, such as rules, expectations, principles, trends or policies.

This is one of the most useful prepositional phrases in formal and professional English.

The new policy is in line with government regulations on data protection.

In accordance with

Meaning: following a rule, law, agreement, instruction or official standard.

In accordance with is more formal than in line with. It is often used in legal, official or professional contexts.

The company acted in accordance with environmental legislation.

In support of

Meaning: showing approval, help or backing for someone or something.

We use in support of when people take action or express approval.

Many students signed the petition in support of longer library hours.

In favour of

Meaning: supporting or approving an idea, plan, decision or person.

In favour of is very common in British English. In American English, you will often see in favor of.

The majority of voters were in favour of reducing public transport fares.

Common mistake:

Do not say: ~~I am in favour to change the rules.~~

Say: I am in favour of changing the rules.

After in favour of, use a noun or -ing form.

Prepositional Phrases of Agreement and Similarity

By mutual agreement

Meaning: agreed by all the people or groups involved.

This phrase is useful in business, legal and professional contexts.

The contract was terminated by mutual agreement.

Learner note:

This phrase suggests that nobody forced the decision. Everyone involved accepted it.

On the same page as

Meaning: having the same understanding, opinion or expectations as someone else.

This phrase is informal and very common in meetings and workplace English.

Before we continue, let’s make sure we are on the same page.

Learner note:

This phrase is useful in spoken English, meetings and business communication, but it may be too informal for academic essays.

In tune with

Meaning: understanding or agreeing with someone’s feelings, needs, opinions or situation.

In tune with often suggests emotional awareness or sensitivity.

A good teacher is in tune with their students’ needs.

In harmony with

Meaning: agreeing or working well with something; compatible with something.

This phrase is often used when talking about values, nature, design, lifestyle or relationships.

Their actions were in harmony with the values of the community.

Learner note:

In harmony with often sounds positive and slightly formal. It suggests balance, peace and compatibility.

In keeping with

Meaning: matching or being suitable for a particular style, tradition, situation or principle.

The decorations were in keeping with the historical theme of the event.

In common with

Meaning: sharing a feature, quality, interest or experience with someone or something else.

In common with other large cities, London faces serious housing problems.

In the same vein as

Meaning: similar in style, tone, approach or character.

This phrase is especially useful when discussing books, films, music, art, speeches or writing.

Her latest novel is in the same vein as her previous works — dark and thought-provoking.

Learner note:

Use this phrase when two things have a similar style or feeling, not simply when they are factually the same.

Along the same lines as

Meaning: similar in idea, method or approach.

This phrase is very useful when comparing suggestions, plans, arguments or systems.

The new proposal is along the same lines as the previous one.

This phrase is natural in both spoken and written English.

In step with

Meaning: moving, changing or developing at the same speed or in the same direction as something else.

The advertising strategy is in step with current market trends

Learner note:

In step with is often used with trends, changes, developments or public opinion.

In sympathy with

Meaning: supporting or sharing the feelings, views or suffering of others.

This phrase is more formal and less common in everyday speech.

The mayor spoke in sympathy with the victims of the disaster.

Learner note:

In sympathy with can refer to emotional support, shared views or supportive action.

In like manner

Meaning: in a similar way.

This phrase is formal, old-fashioned or literary. It is not common in everyday English, but you may see it in formal writing.

The first experiment was carefully recorded. The second was conducted in like manner.

Learner note:

For everyday English, use in the same way or similarly instead.

Formal and informal phrases

Some of these phrases are suitable for formal writing, while others are better for conversation.

More formal:

in accordance with
in support of
in favour of
in keeping with
in harmony with
in common with
in the same vein as
by mutual agreement

Neutral or widely useful:

in line with
in agreement with
in tune with
along the same lines as
in step with
More informal:
on the same page as

Very formal or literary:

in like manner
in sympathy with

Final thoughts

Prepositional phrases of agreement and similarity help you express connections between ideas more clearly and precisely. They are especially useful when you want to show support, consistency, shared understanding or similarity in a more advanced way.

Start with the most common phrases, such as in line with, in favour of, in agreement with and in common with. Then gradually add more formal expressions, such as in accordance with, in keeping with and in the same vein as, to make your English sound more polished and sophisticated.

Visit our bookshop for more

Discover more from My Lingua Academy

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Prepositional Phrases of Agreement and Similarity

Published by My Lingua Academy on 21 Jul 202521 Jul 2025