address the crowd

[flowersa]

Hi, can you explain what is address in this context?

"address the crowd, and jet back to Chicago the same night."

 

[5jj]

It will be easier to answer if you post the complete sentence.

 

[flowersa]

Hi, sure 5jj

It's about Obama I don't know if it was before that he became the president ...

"And he was so intent on going to Florida—Florida!—that he was willing to leave
his daughter’s recital, drive out to the airport, catch a
charter plane, fly down to Lake Buena Vista, address the
crowd, and jet back to Chicago the same night."

 

[Raymott]

Hi, sure 5jj

It's about Obama I don't know if it was before that he became the president ...

"And he was so intent on going to Florida—Florida!—that he was willing to leave
his daughter’s recital, drive out to the airport, catch a
charter plane, fly down to Lake Buena Vista, address the
crowd, and jet back to Chicago the same night."

There are a few good dictionaries on the 'net. Here is a popular one:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/address

There are 7 definitions under v.tr. (transitive verb). To me, definitions 3 - 7 are inappropriate in this context.
Now, it's your turn. You can choose between 1 and 2.

 

[flowersa]

Hi Raymott I'm trying to understand what is the best meaning for it in a lot of case I'm really not sure because it's a word I never saw before ... I don't know if he talked to the people? deliver a speech? anything else?

 

[Raymott]

Hi Raymott I'm trying to understand what is the best meaning for it in a lot of case I'm really not sure because it's a word I never saw before ... I don't know if he talked to the people? deliver a speech? anything else?

I probably appended the last two lines while you were responding.

 

[flowersa]

As a native speaker What do you think I should use the first or the second one? :up:

 

[Raymott]

As a native speaker What do you think I should use the first or the second one? :up:

1. To speak to: addressed me in low tones.
2. To make a formal speech to.

Frankly, I think you should be able to choose between 1 and 2 regardless of your command of English, simply from the context (if you feel that a choice needs to be made). Besides, you are reading for understanding; you're not writing. You do not have to choose which definition "to use". You merely have to understand what is happening, and you can achieve that understand by combining the two definitions if you wish.

 

[flowersa]

Thanks ... on my first post here I told that I would love to understand English as a native, but besides this I'm enjoying to learn it so I don't care "to work hard" on it, and also by understanding it well it helps me when I'm posting in English on other forums (Not studying)