How to use SAY / TELL / SPEAK / TALK

Speak is used when one person addresses a group.
Talk suggests that two or more people are having a conversation.
(Sometimes they are used with similar meaning)

Say is used with words. Structure: say something to somebody. (ไม่ต้องการผู้ฟัง)

Tell is used when giving information. Structure: tell somebody something. (ต้องการผู้ฟัง)

• speak (spoke, spoken)
  He spoke to the class about the problem.
  Can you speak Chinese?
  I’d like to speak to Mr. Pitt, please.
• talk (talked, talked)
  They talked for hours about the problem.
  Can I talk to Mr. Pitt, please?
• say (said, said)
  She said nothing all morning. (spoke no words)
  As she entered, she said ‘Hello’ to me.
  He said ‘Goodbye’ and went away.
• tell (told, told)
  She told me nothing about herself. (gave me no information)
  Can you tell me how to get to the bank?

Sinple Present

Signal word for simple present

• always
• every …
• often
• normally
• usually
• sometimes
• seldom –> on only a few occasions; rarely; infrequently; not often: We seldom see our old neighbors anymore
• never
• First…Then…
  

Be careful, adding ‘s’ or ‘es’ follow consonant ‘y’.

Alway change final ‘y’ to ‘ie’ before adding ‘s’. except the words final ‘y’ that follow with vowel (a, e, i, o, u) thre is no change.

example:

say –> says.

cry –> cries.

Present progressive, point of view in the sentence.

The prosent progressive expresses an action going on only for a limited period of time.

For an unlimited period of time we would use simple present.

The word ‘at the moment’, ‘just’, ‘just now’, ‘Listen!’, ‘Look!’, ‘now’, ‘right now’ make clear that we are not talking about an action in the future.

The present progressive can be used for actions taking around now, not only at the moment of speaking. It could be example that I have a lot to do this month, but today is my day off. So I am working hard at the moment(=this month), but not today.

‘We are meeting Tom tonight.’ –>  What does this sentence mean?

It mean ‘The action is arranged for the near future.’

The word ‘tonight’ shows that the action has not taken place yet. The present progressive is, however, only used for arranged plans, not for action that might take place.