Please, dont speak evil … the dead

Analyze the question: The sentence is "Please, don't speak evil ... the dead." We need the preposition that correctly follows the phrase "speak evil."

Explain the concept: In English, the idiom is "speak evil of someone", meaning to say bad or hurtful things about a person. The preposition of shows who the evil words are about. It is similar to "speak ill of" and "speak well of." This is a collocation (a fixed word partnership), so it has to be learned as a unit.

Step-by-step solution:

• A. speak evil to the dead: This would mean saying evil words directly to the dead. It does not fit the usual meaning of the saying.
• B. speak evil of the dead: This is correct and idiomatic. It means to say bad things about people who have died. It matches the well-known saying "Speak no ill of the dead."
• C. speak evil on the dead: This is not a standard English construction.
• D. speak evil for the dead: This would mean speaking evil on behalf of the dead, which makes no sense here.

The correct completed sentence is: "Please, don't speak evil of the dead."

Tip: Memorize these fixed phrases: speak ill of, speak well of, think highly of, approve of. For "speak + good/ill/evil + preposition," remember that of is used when talking about a person. Use to only when you are addressing someone directly, as in "speak to the teacher."