Can I use “address” instead of talk about?
Hi, can I use “address” instead of talk about? For example, in a presentation, can I say “Now I’ll address the safety control system” instead of “Now I’ll talk about the safety control system”?

Question

Answer

Absolutely you can, it's exactly the right kind of formal English to use during a presentation.

Answer

Yes.  “Address” is more formal than “talk about,” but it is very appropriate for use in the context of a presentation.

Answer

Yes, that’s perfect.

Note that “address” has many uses. It’s most formal use would be “talk to” rather than “talk about”

The Dean will address the students at commencement.
The President addressed the nation.

The most colloquial use would be “put the address on”
I used to address my Christmas cards by hand, but now I print out address labels.

Answer

Simon and John are correct. It often has the nuance of “addressing a question” or “addressing a problem” rather than just talking about something.

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