Ⅰ. say “说、讲”普通用语,指用言语表达思想,强调所说的内容。如:
① What did he say? 他说了些什么?
② He said that it was true. 他说那是真实的。
Ⅱ. speak “说、讲”可表示以任何一种方式说话。它着重于说话这一动作本身。而不强调所说的内容。为不及物动词。作及物动词时与表语言的词连用。如:
① Please speak more slowly. 请说得慢一些。
② The baby is learning to speak. 这小孩在学说话。
③ She can speak English fluently. 她英语说得很流利。
Ⅲ. talk “谈话、讲话”,通常表连贯地与别人谈话。强调谈话这一动作,而不是内容。如:
① He was talking to a friend. 他在和一个朋友谈话。
② He went on talking for a long time, but he spoke so fast that few of us could catch what he said. 他滔滔不绝地讲了半天,但是他说得太快,我们几乎没有什么人能听懂他说的些什么。
③ She is always talking nonsense. 她总爱讲废话。
Ⅳ. tell “告诉、讲述”指将某事讲给别人听。它有时还有“吩咐、命令”等含义。如:
① He told the news to everybody in the village. 他把这消息告诉了村子里的每个人。
② She told me not to write the letter. 她叫我不要写信了。