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Expressions Using Talk

in Word of the WEEK (from HEADWAY- Oxford)
Page 1 of 2

 

Part A.      Common Expressions
Part B.      Talk Collocations
Part C.      Impolite Talk
Part D.      Working with Cobuild

Part A.    Common Expressions

Here are some common expressions that use the verb talk:

  1. Now you're talking.
  2. Look who's talking.
  3. I'm talking to you!
  4. People will talk.
  5. They're not talking.

Which one do you think means:

  • a) I agree with your suggestion.
  • b) Two people have had a disagreement and refuse to speak to each other.
  • c)You are angry with someone because he/she is not listening to you.
  • d) Your are concerned that people will gossip.
  • e) You think the speaker is being judgemental.

 

Part B    Impolite Talk

Sometimes talk is used in expressions to describe rude or impolite ways of speaking. Look at the following examples:

·         talk trash = to say rude or offensive things about someone else

·         talk back to = to answer someone rudely after having been asked to do something

·         talk down to = to speak to someone in a patronizing way

In the next exercise you'll find scrambled sentences which use each of these expressions. Try to put the sentences in the correct order.

  

Part C    Working with CoBuild

Here are some more very common expressions using talk taken from the Collins CoBuild Corpus Sampler.

1.       (all) talk and no action

2.       money talks

3.       talk me out of

4.       small talk

5.       talk up

Check the CoBuild Online Corpus Sampler for more examples.