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Talk and Speak Both Mean "To Say Words." And, Many Times

The document discusses the differences between the words "talk" and "speak", as well as "tell" and "say". It notes that while talk and speak both mean to say words, talk is generally used for informal conversations between two or more people, while speak is used for one-way communication like presentations. Tell means to inform or instruct someone and requires an indirect object, while say focuses more on the words used and does not require an indirect object.

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ahmed hassabelnaby
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82 views3 pages

Talk and Speak Both Mean "To Say Words." And, Many Times

The document discusses the differences between the words "talk" and "speak", as well as "tell" and "say". It notes that while talk and speak both mean to say words, talk is generally used for informal conversations between two or more people, while speak is used for one-way communication like presentations. Tell means to inform or instruct someone and requires an indirect object, while say focuses more on the words used and does not require an indirect object.

Uploaded by

ahmed hassabelnaby
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Talk and speak both mean “to say words.

” And, many times,


you can use either word without losing any meaning. But
there are some differences in when we use these words.

The word talk is usually used:

 for conversations between two or more people


 and informal situations, such as between friends or
family
For example, Ashley asks Anna: “Are you talking to yourself
again?”

Speak is usually used:

 for one-way communication, such as presentations


 formal situations, such as a boss speaking with her
workers
 to talk about language ability
 and in polite requests
 The words tell and say have similar meanings. But we
use them in different ways.

 Tell means “to inform or instruct someone with words”


and is almost always followed by an indirect object. For
example, Sue says, “Tell me about that.”

 The word me is the indirect object and tells us who is


being told.

 Say means “to express something with words”


and focuses more on the words used. For example, Anna
says, “That’s what it said. It said, ‘Use me, Anna.’”
Tell | Say
TELL means “to inform or instruct someone with words.”
We use an indirect object (personal pronoun) with tell to
say who is receiving the information.

Tell is only used without an indirect object in a few


expressions, such as: tell the time, tell the difference and tell
the truth.

When we report a command or instruction, we usually also


use the verb tell. When we do this, we use an infinitive verb after the indirect object.

Command (in Direct Speech) Reported Speech

“Read the instructions carefully.” She told Anna to read the instructions carefully.

Use tell:

 In reported speech
 Sometimes in direct speech*
 With a personal pronoun
Examples:

 Sue told Anna that she liked her lamp.


 She told her to read the instructions carefully.
 Anna told her that the broken toys wanted help.
 Sue told me, “So…it’s a plastic helmet.” (wrong)
SAY means "to express something with words." When we use
say, we do not focus on who is receiving the information. So,
we do not use an indirect object (personal pronoun).

Use say:
 In direct speech
 In reported speech
 Without a personal pronoun
Examples:

 Anna said the glue was very sticky.


 Sue said that she had to take a call.
 She said, “Don’t start without me.”
 Anna said me, “Got it.” (wrong)
Sue tells Anna not to start without her.
When to Use Tell Say

In reported speech Yes Yes

In direct speech Less common Yes

With an indirect object Yes No

*The verb Tell is sometimes used with direct speech, but this
is less common than say. However, it can be common in
some types of writing, such as in news reports.

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