ADV
- briefly
- We spoke briefly on the phone
- at length
- hardly
- Ben hardly spoke to me all evening
VERB + SPEAK
- want to
- refuse to
- The president refused to speak to the waiting journalists
- dare (to)
- No one had ever dared speak to him like that before
PREP
- about, to
- I need to speak to Joseph about this matter
- with
- Can I speak with you for a minute?
PHRASES
- be on speaking terms (with sb)
- We are still on speaking terms after the argument
- not be speaking (to sb)
- Ed and Dave aren't speaking at the moment
ADV
- loudly
- quietly, softly
- clearly
- You must speak loudly and clearly on the stage
- slowly
- calmly
- brusquely, sharply
- briefly
- at length
- suddenly
- hardly
- eloquently, movingly
- She spoke eloquently about the need for action
- lovingly, warmly
- disparagingly, harshly
- encouragingly, soothingly
- authoritatively, forcefully
- earnestly
- coherently, intelligibly, meaningfully
- absently
- freely, openly
- boldly
- hesitantly
- out
VERB + SPEAK
- be able/unable to, can/could (hardly)
- She was so moved she could hardly speak
- begin to, open your mouth to
- She opened her mouth to speak and found she couldn't
- try to
- dare not, not trust yourself to
- He nodded, not trusting himself to speak
- hear sb
- I heard him speak at the debating society
PREP
- about, against
- He spoke out against mismanagement
- for
- I speak for all my colleagues
- in favour of
- She spoke in favour of the new tax
- on
- She speaks on women's issues
- on behalf of
- I speak on behalf of many thousands of women
- of
- He speaks very warmly of you
- to
- He will be speaking to history students about the causes of war
ADV
- fluently, well
- He speaks German fluently
VERB + SPEAK
- be able/unable to, can/could
- learn to
- learning to speak a foreign language
- teach sb to
PREP
- in
- Would you prefer it if we spoke in French?