[Grammar] Talk to me / with me

[TicoInBrazil]

I believe they are slightly diff but mean the same thing, am I correct?

 

[TheParser]

I believe they are slightly diff but mean the same thing, am I correct?

********** NOT A TEACHER **********


TicoInBrazil,


I was taught that there is a difference.

(1) talk/speak to = one person does all the talking/speaking.

(a) The President will speak to the nation tonight.

(b) The boss is very angry with you. He wants to talk to you

immediately.

(2) talk/speak with = there is more of an exchange of views.

(a) My friends and I like to talk with one another during lunch.

(b) May I speak with you about a problem that we are having

with each other?


********** NOT A TEACHER **********

 

[5jj]

Speakers of BrE normally talk/speak to somebody. With sounds artificial to us.

 

[Allen165]

********** NOT A TEACHER **********


TicoInBrazil,


I was taught that there is a difference.

(1) talk/speak to = one person does all the talking/speaking.

(a) The President will speak to the nation tonight.

(b) The boss is very angry with you. He wants to talk to you

immediately.

(2) talk/speak with = there is more of an exchange of views.

(a) My friends and I like to talk with one another during lunch.

(b) May I speak with you about a problem that we are having

with each other?


********** NOT A TEACHER **********

NOT A TEACHER.

It might be interesting to note that in German the same distinction is made between "sprechen zu" (speak to) and "sprechen mit" (speak with).

I wasn't actually aware of the distinction in English, perhaps because it's not observed by many people in everyday English.

 

[Allen165]

Speakers of BrE normally talk/speak to somebody. With sounds artificial to us.

I agree that "with" sounds stilted.

 

[e2e4]

/A learner/

I believe they are slightly diff but mean the same thing, am I correct?

I usually say

May I have a word with you? instead of

May I talk with you.

for other cases I say

I'd like to talk to you.
I must talk to you.
Listen to me! I am talking to you!

etc.

 

[philo2009]

I believe they are slightly diff but mean the same thing, am I correct?

Both are possible, but 'with' tends to suggest a rather more serious/weighty topic, while 'to' is generally used where we are referring simply to everyday conversation/social banter.