yes exactly

USAGE SUMMARY

Yes exactly is a perfectly acceptable phrase to use in written English. You can use it when you need to agree with someone or affirm their statement. For example: Person A: "Is the deadline for the assignment tomorrow?" Person B: "Yes exactly."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

56 human-written examples

Yes, yes – exactly.

The Guardian - Books

And to this I say, YES! EXACTLY!

Huffington Post

This is the bit where you're going to go – yes, exactly, war is horrific and that's why I would never wear a poppy – I'm not celebrating all that military stuff.

Vice

Sarah Parish: Yes, exactly, yes.

Independent

AIDE: Heh, yes, exactly.

The New Yorker

NICHOLAS THOMPSON: Alex, yes, exactly!

The New Yorker

"Stop making sense:" yes, exactly, we thought -- we, the children of a city begotten by unscrupulous real-estate speculators on an infernal swamp, the children of a city in which the buildings downtown are connected by air-conditioned tunnels so that no one need venture outdoors.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

4 human-written examples

If yes, what exactly happens (throw crockery, turn up the volume..)?

The Guardian - Arts

There is also a new Tweets detail page that yes, looks exactly like the iPhone version.

TechCrunch

Return yes iff exactly one edge from each set (mathcal {E}_1}^{i}) and at most one edge from each set (mathcal {E}_{{leq }1}^{j}) are in (mathcal {E}^).

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Which, yes, is exactly like saying, do not predict tomorrow's weather based on radar images of a hurricane swirling offshore, moving west towards us with 60-mph winds and ten inches of rain.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "yes exactly" to concisely affirm a statement or idea, creating a clear and immediate connection with your audience or conversation partner.

Common error

While "yes exactly" is acceptable, avoid using it excessively in close succession. Vary your responses with alternatives like "precisely", "indeed", or "that's correct" to maintain a more engaging and dynamic conversation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "yes exactly" primarily functions as an affirmative response, indicating agreement or confirmation of a statement or idea. As Ludwig examples show, it is commonly used in dialogues to express concurrence. The Ludwig AI response confirms its acceptability in written English for expressing agreement.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Science

18%

Academia

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "yes exactly" is a versatile phrase used to express agreement and confirmation. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and commonly used across diverse contexts, including news, science, and academia. While it is generally acceptable, diversifying your responses with alternatives is recommended to avoid overuse. The linguistic analysis highlights its neutral register and primary function as an affirmative response. With a high source quality score and expert rating, "yes exactly" proves to be a reliable and effective way to signal understanding and alignment in both spoken and written communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Precisely so

Emphasizes accuracy and correctness in agreement.

That's spot on

Indicates perfect accuracy and agreement.

You're absolutely right

Affirms the other person's statement with strong agreement.

Indeed

A formal way of expressing agreement or confirmation.

That's correct

Confirms the accuracy of a statement.

My thoughts exactly

Expresses complete agreement by indicating shared thinking.

Couldn't agree more

Shows strong agreement, emphasizing the speaker's alignment.

That's just it

Highlights the key point in agreement.

You nailed it

Indicates that someone has perfectly understood or explained something.

I concur

A formal expression of agreement.

FAQs

How can I use "yes exactly" in a sentence?

"Yes exactly" is typically used as a short, affirmative response to show agreement. For example, if someone says, "The meeting is at 2 PM, right?", you could reply, "Yes exactly."

What are some alternatives to "yes exactly"?

Alternatives include "precisely", "indeed", "that's correct", and "absolutely". The best choice depends on the context and level of formality.

Is it appropriate to use "yes exactly" in formal writing?

While "yes exactly" is generally acceptable, it might be perceived as less formal. In formal writing, consider using alternatives such as "indeed", "precisely", or "that is correct" to maintain a more professional tone.

What's the difference between "yes exactly" and "exactly"?

Both phrases express agreement, but "yes exactly" includes an explicit affirmation ("yes") before reinforcing the agreement with "exactly". Using just "exactly" is often sufficient and can sound more concise, while "yes exactly" can emphasize your agreement or be more polite.