talk

Use the word "talk" when a person speaks. The words "talk" and "speak" are similar, but they can’t always be used in exactly the same ways:

• I’d like to talk with you. (I’d like to speak with you.)
• She wants to talk to a doctor. (She wants to speak to a doctor.)
• Let’s talk.
• Would you like to talk about this?
• The teacher talked to the student about his behavior in class.
• The student was talked to. (passive voice)
• Are you talking on the phone?
• That guy really knows how to talk. (He talks a lot)

They’re talking to each other.

A person who talks a lot is talkative. The word "talkative" is an adjective:

• Sherry is too talkative in class, so the teacher moved her to a different seat.
• Ralph isn’t very talkative tonight because of something that happened today at work.

The word "talk" may be used in some unusual ways when it’s used as a noun:

• The teacher gave the boy a good talking to. (She gave him a verbal reprimand or punishment.)
• The professor gave a talk on nutrition. (talk = lecture)
• She gave a good talk.
• If you’re going to talk the talk, you have to walk the walk. (If you say your going to do something, you actually have to do it.)
• That’s just a lot of talk. (People are saying something mean about someone, but it might not be true.)
• There’s been a lot of talk around the office about Regina and Steve. (talk = gossip)
• He’s a big talker.
• He’s all talk and no action.

Note: You can say that a person "knows how to speak English," but don’t say a person "knows how to talk English."

Click here to go to the Word of the Day page.

Date of publication: September 28, 2016