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  1. If he was angry, then would he have spoken to me.
  1. If he was angry, then he would have spoken to me.

What is the difference in meaning between these two sentences???

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    The first is a question, whereas the second is a statement.
    – aiwl
    Commented Jun 12, 2021 at 8:24
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    Assuming you don't read it as a question, then would he have sounds quaintly old-fashioned in standard English.
    – Kate Bunting
    Commented Jun 12, 2021 at 8:26

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As already stated the first is a question the second a statement. However I think you will find the correct sentences should be written.

If he was angry, then would he have spoken with me.

If he was angry, then he would have spoken with me.

"with" the act of doing something together. The alternative being "at you" but then you would have more likely said "shouted at me".

Although I do not know the context in which you wish to use this sentence.

A teacher might have "spoken to you" if you had done something wrong. But that would be phrased differently. And you are extremely unlikely to say "he would have spoken with me" linked with this kind of situation.

"I have spoken to her, the subject is closed".

I have reprimanded her. I don't what to hear anything more about it.

However the following is a possibility.

He was angry, and he has spoken to me.

It was a one way street he told me and I listened. as apposed to "He was angry, and we talked about it."

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  • I strongly disagree. In my (British) variety, "speak to" is far more natural than "speak with".
    – Colin Fine
    Commented Aug 12, 2023 at 18:21
  • And actually, looking at google ngrams that is so for American as well as British English, though both expressions have plummeted since 2005.
    – Colin Fine
    Commented Aug 12, 2023 at 18:23
  • @ColinFine That's because you selected the 2012 corpus, which excluded recent data.
    – alphabet
    Commented Aug 12, 2023 at 18:55
  • "Spoke to" and "spoke with" are common in both dialects. There may be a slight difference in connotation, but both are fine here.
    – alphabet
    Commented Aug 12, 2023 at 18:57
  • @alphabet: Oopsy. Thank you. And with the 2019 corpus, it is even clearer that the ratio spoken to : spoken with is larger for Br E than for Am E.
    – Colin Fine
    Commented Aug 12, 2023 at 20:06

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