SPEAK TELL SAY

1.指”說話的本能”時用speak與talk均可The baby is learning to talk (or speak).2.詢問對方懂不懂某種語言用speak，如果指主詞懂得或使用某種語言通常用speak，但也可以用talk表示”不怎麼好”的含義Do you speak English?They talk English together for practice.3.指主詞跟某人說話時用speak和talk均可，以後者比較通俗Can I talk to you for a few minutes about your sister?4.指彼此互相交談時用talk，若只是一人獨講或因故而不能講，用speakWhat are you talking about?5.正式發表演說用speakThe President will speak on TV tonight.6.傳達別人(或自己)所說的話時用say或tell，但二者使用的時機不同（1）直接敘述之前別無其他受詞時，用tellShe said, ”What do you want me to do?”（2）直接敘述裡若是命令句或敘述句，且引號之前另有某人做間接受詞時，用tell；也可用say to somebodyI told them (or I said to them), “I’ve never seen this man before.”（3）不是疑問句的間接敘述之前若無受詞受say，若有用tellShe said she loved me.She told me she loved me.7.tell通常都是先接間接受詞(人)，再接直接受詞（事），但是在tell (somebody) a lie，tell (somebody) the truth等語裡的somebody可省略，其中中的tell都不可改用sayI don’t think she’s telling the truth.8.tell加受詞之後接不定詞，表示命令或忠告，say、talk、speak都不可用於此種結構I told them to shut up.9.不是口說，而是信、書、報上說都用say，不可用tell、talk、speakThe paper says that it might rain this evening.10.說出某一個字、某件事或某一句話的”說”都用say，不可用tell、talk、speakI came to say good-bye to you.11.tell可作”辨別”、”洩露(秘密)”、”顯示”講，say、talk、speak無此含義he cannot tell right from wrong.12.只說”說話”，沒有指出說啥話，用speakSpeak up! = Speak more Loudly!13.說某人的好話或壞話用speakHe always speaks well of you to my face.14.美語中，say之後可以接不定詞，含義是”說應該做某事”My teacher gave me a great deal of advice; he said to study hard. 15. tell the time不是"看時間" 是指"看懂鐘錶上的時間"He's seven years old and he still can't tell the time.