That’s right.

[touchstone]

Jane: Hi, Michael. Would you like to be a greener person?
Michael: Of course, I’d love to. But what should I do?
Jane: You’d better walk or ride a bike instead of taking a bus or a taxi if you travel a short distance.
Michael: That’s right. It will save energy and reduce air pollution.
(from a textbook)
I don’t think ‘That’s right.’ here is OK. Maybe ‘Good idea’ is better. What do you say?
Thanks.

 

[GoesStation]

It would be more natural for Michael to say You're right. That would save energy and reduce air pollution. "Good idea" would also be more natural than the quoted text.

This ties in with another thread where we're discussing should and had better. Should would be more natural in Jane's third sentence.

 

[Tarheel]

No. "That's right" is OK. But "You'd better" sounds like an order.

 

[touchstone]

[FONT=&#23435]GoesStation said, [/FONT]“[FONT=&#23435]It would be more natural for Michael to say You're right.[/FONT]”
[FONT=&#23435]Tarheel said, [/FONT]“[FONT=&#23435]That's right is OK.[/FONT]”
[FONT=&#23435]Now I don[/FONT]’[FONT=&#23435]t know whose idea I should take. Could anyone help me?[/FONT][FONT=&#23435]Thanks. [/FONT]

 

[Matthew Wai]

This non-native would vote for GoesStation.

 

[GoesStation]

GoesStation said, “It would be more natural for Michael to say You're right.”
Tarheel said, “That's right is OK.”
Now I don’t know whose idea I should take. Could anyone help me?

Either one is fine.

 

[Tarheel]

Please note that I wasn't disagreeing with GS. (We posted at almost the same time.)

There is almost always more than one way to say something.

 

[Rover_KE]

There is almost always more than one way to say something.

Doesn't that statement apply to Chinese, too, touchstone?

 

[touchstone]

Doesn't that statement apply to Chinese, too, touchstone?

Of course, it does, Rover.:-D I just wanted to make sure.