we spoke

USAGE SUMMARY

"we spoke" is a perfectly correct and usable part of a sentence in written English.
You can use it whenever you want to indicate that two or more people talked together. For example, "John and I spoke about our plans for the weekend."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

We spoke of 'playfulness' and 'textuality' and concluded before we'd read even a hundredth of it that the Western canon was 'illegitimate,' a veiled expression of powerful group interests that it was out duty to subvert".

Huffington Post

As Mr Xi spoke, Australia concluded a free-trade agreement with China.

The Economist

The Mayor then spoke, and concluded, tepidly, "Tonight, it's so important just to remember a good young man, a good young man who represented all that we aspire to be".

The New Yorker

Recent research by the thinktank the Smith Institute, which co-hosted the event he spoke at, concluded that there were "worrying trends" in England, including inner cities becoming unaffordable as property prices and rents soar, leading to an outward shift.

The Guardian

When we first spoke, he had just concluded a brief and somewhat disastrous press rollout of a new Web site whose "Juice Shop" allows a visitor to load up a shopping cart with items like a signed replica of a Bills jersey ($349) and "various" autographed photos ($100).

The New York Times - Magazine

So let's start plotting out how we're going to do that.' " Echoing the opinion of nearly every other young Republican with whom I spoke, the operative concluded sadly, "And we haven't had that person yet".

The New York Times - Magazine

"I think Apple can be saved, and I think it will be saved, technically speaking," Graziano concluded.

The New Yorker

Roughly speaking, they concluded that there exists an S-shaped connected component in the positive solutions set of problem (1.2) (see Figure 1).

Advances in Difference Equations

"The people have spoken," she concluded.

Vice

Because none of the witnesses can agree on the language the murderer spoke, Dupin concludes they were not hearing a human voice at all.

Wikipedia

"A leader's responsibility is to give voice to those who can't -- or don't -- have the opportunity to speak," he concluded.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "we spoke" when indicating that a conversation or discussion took place between you and others. It's a versatile phrase suitable for both formal and informal contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "we speak" when referring to a past conversation. "We spoke" is the correct past tense form. For example, say "We spoke yesterday" not "We speak yesterday".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "we spoke" functions as a verb phrase indicating a past action of communication between two or more people. Ludwig shows examples where it's used to describe conversations, discussions, and agreements.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

25%

Encyclopedias

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

15%

Wiki

5%

Social Media

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "we spoke" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase to indicate a past conversation or discussion between individuals. According to Ludwig, its versatile nature makes it suitable for various contexts, ranging from formal news reports to informal discussions. While alternatives like "we talked" or "we discussed" exist, the choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey. Remember to use the correct past tense form to avoid grammatical errors. The analysis shows it is commonly found in news media and scientific writing and follows general English language use patterns.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

we talked

Replaces "spoke" with the more common and informal "talked".

we discussed

Substitutes "spoke" with "discussed", implying a more in-depth conversation.

we communicated

Replaces "spoke" with "communicated", suggesting a broader exchange of information.

we had a conversation

Rephrases "we spoke" to emphasize the interactive nature of the discussion.

we conferred

Replaces "spoke" with "conferred", implying a formal consultation or meeting.

we exchanged words

A more literal and slightly formal way of saying "we spoke".

we addressed

Substitutes "spoke" with "addressed", suggesting speaking to a specific issue or group.

we expressed

Replaces "spoke" with "expressed", highlighting the sharing of opinions or feelings.

we uttered

A more formal and less common way of saying "we spoke".

we shared

Replaces "spoke" with "shared", suggesting an exchange of ideas or experiences.

FAQs

How to use "we spoke" in a sentence?

You can use "we spoke" to indicate that a conversation occurred in the past. For example, "We spoke about the project deadline yesterday."

What can I say instead of "we spoke"?

You can use alternatives like "we talked", "we discussed", or "we communicated", depending on the context.

Which is correct, "we spoke" or "we speak" when referring to a past event?

"We spoke" is the correct past tense form. "We speak" refers to the present tense, indicating a habitual action. For instance, "We spoke last night" is correct, while "We speak every Tuesday" indicates a regular occurrence.

What's the difference between "we spoke" and "we were speaking"?

"We spoke" indicates a completed action in the past, whereas "we were speaking" suggests an ongoing action in the past. For example, "We spoke about the issue" implies the conversation is over, while "We were speaking when the phone rang" suggests the conversation was interrupted.