~を話す to mean talk about? Confusion


メアリーと翔子は友達の **トムのことを** 話しています。(A)

The English translation was given as "Mary and Shoko are talking about their
friend Tom."

The following two sentences I guess would mean the same.

メアリーと翔子は友達の **トムのことについて** 話しています。(B)

メアリーと翔子は友達の **トムについて** 話しています。(C)

So how does the feeling differ between (A) and (B)? Do people say (B)? Do
people say (C)? How does the feeling differ between (B) and (C)? Would
anything change if they were talking about say a test rather than their friend
Tom?

Sorry, if this is a duplicate. Please help explain what's happening here!
よろしくおねがいします




トムのこと has to be used when there is actually a concrete issue concerning Tom,
and they're talking about that issue rather than Tom himself (i.e., if you
want to say "Let's talk about the problem about Tom" rather than "Let's talk
about something about Tom", you need to say トムのことを話しましょう or トムのことについて話しましょう).
Otherwise, the difference between (A), (B) and (C) is very small, and they are
all natural. You seem to know this, but トムを話す is incorrect.

See also: [What is the こと in sentences such as
あなたのことが好きだ?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/2102/5010)




トムのこと has to be used when there is actually a concrete issue concerning Tom,
and they're talking about that issue rather than Tom himself (i.e., if you
want to say "Let's talk about the problem about Tom" rather than "Let's talk
about something about Tom", you need to say トムのことを話しましょう or トムのことについて話しましょう).
Otherwise, the difference between (A), (B) and (C) is very small, and they are
all natural. You seem to know this, but トムを話す is incorrect.

See also: [What is the こと in sentences such as
あなたのことが好きだ?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/2102/5010)

