A Speak
1. It's a little formal and often gives the idea that a person is saying more than any others in a conversation:
- He won't listen to me. Will you speak to him?
- I'm going to speak to the manager about the way I have been treated.
2. speak + language
- My sister speaks German fluently.
- What's he speaking? (=what language?)
- I don't speak a word of Italian.
B. TALK
1. It's much more common in spoken English than speak and suggests that two or more people are having a conversation:
- We stayed up all night talking.
- Are you two talking about me?
2. talk about = discuss
- They're talking about the new Harry Potter film.
- I really don't want to talk about it.
C. Expressions with SPEAK
- speak for yourself = tell someone that you have a different opinion
- speak out of turn = say something when you don't have the right or authority to say it
- - I hope I haven't spoken out of turn. I didn't know it was supposed to be a secret.
- speak well / badly / ill of someone = say good or bad things about someone
- - It's wrong to speak ill of the dead.
- speak volumes = to express something very clearly
- - He never told her that he loved her, but his actions spoke volumes.
D. Expressions with TALK
- talk someone into doing something = persuade someone to do something
- Try to talk Liz into buying a ticket for the concert.
- look who's talking! - used to tell someone that they shouldn't criticise others because they are just as bad.
- Tom (a smoker) : "Peggy, you shouldn't smoke so much."
- Peggy: " Look who's talking!"
- talk tough = tell people very strongly what you want from them.
- The new manager has already started talking tough.
- talk sense = give sensible (logical) opinions about things
He's quite old-fashioned but he talks sense.
- talk the hind legs off a donkey = to talk a lot, especially about trivial or unimportant things.
- be talking through your hat = to say silly or stupid things about something that you think you know a lot.
