Whats the difference between tell and say?
Whats the difference between tell and say?
What’s the difference between say and tell? Say and tell are both used to report ideas or information that was expressed in spoken language. The most important difference between them is that with say, you don’t need to mention who the ideas or information were shared with, but with tell, you do.
What is the difference between the reporting verbs say and tell?
Say and tell are the two verbs most commonly used to report statements in English. We can use either say or tell to do this. Note that when we are quoting direct speech, say is the more commonly used verb as say refers to any kind of speech. Tell is used only with the meaning of instruct or inform.
Can say and tell be used interchangeably?
The verbs say and tell are used in both direct and indirect speech. We use say to refer to any kind of speech. It can be used interchangeably with tell in indirect speech, but not in direct speech. We use tell to refer to situations where instructions or information are given.
What is the difference between say tell speak and talk?
Just like “say” and “tell”, “speak” is an irregular verb. So in the past tense the form is “spoke”. But “talk” is a regular verb, so all you need to do to change the verb to the past tense is add -ed-. The pronunciation of that -ed- is the just a /t/ sound added to the end of the verb: talk/t/.
How do you use say in a sentence?
Says sentence example
- Daddy says I look just like Mom.
- He says it’s only a few miles away and we’ll be right back.
- In any case, as the song says , The times, they are a-changin’—and they are changing in a manner that governments probably can’t keep up with.
- Sofi says his path is dark.
What are the three forms of tell?
Conjugation of verb ‘Tell’
| V1 Base Form (Infinitive): | To Tell |
|---|---|
| V2 Past Simple: | Told |
| V3 Past Participle: | Told |
| V4 3rd Person Singular: | Tells |
| V5 Present Participle/Gerund: | Telling |
Can you say or tell?
We use say and tell in different ways in reported speech. Say focuses on the words someone said and tell focuses more on the content or message of what someone said: We use say with direct speech.
How do you use say tell and ask?
How to use Say, Tell and Ask
- Say. We say: hello and goodbye, please and thank you, happy birthday and congratulations. Say hello to your sister for me. We said goodbye at the airport.
- Tell. Tell is usually followed immediately by a person. Said is not:
- Ask. Ask is used for questions: What is your name?
How do you start a sentence with say?
It’s not rude. “Say” is a discourse marker used to open a conversation or a new topic with no other introduction or preamble. For example, you and I might be talking about the weather and I might suddenly realize I’m hungry.
What to say instead of says?
272 Words to Use Instead of “Said”
| accused | corrected | lamented |
|---|---|---|
| asked | denied | murmured |
| asserted | described | mused |
| assured | disagreed | muttered |
| babbled | disclosed | nagged |
What is the difference between say and tell in English?
Say focuses on the words someone said and tell focuses more on the content or message of what someone said: ‘Hello,’ she said. Not: ‘Hello,’ she told. She told him they were going on holiday. (The focus is on the information.) We use say with direct speech. We don’t normally use tell in this way:
What is the difference between ‘say’ and ‘tell’ in reported statements?
In reported statements, we can use either ‘say’ or ‘tell’. The meaning is the same, but the grammar is different. For example: Direct speech: John: “I’ll be late”. Reported speech: John said (that) he would be late. OR John told me (that) he was going to be late. With ‘tell’ we NEED the object (e.g. ‘me’, ‘you’, ‘her’).
What is the past simple of say and tell?
Say and tell are irregular verbs. The past simple of say is said, the past simple of tell is told: They asked if I was looking for work and I said yes. Then he told me how he had got the job by lying about his age. We use say and tell in different ways in reported speech.
How do you use the word tell only with direct speech?
We use tell only with direct speech that is an instruction or information: 1 Amanda said, “Hello John. How are you?” 2 “That’s great,” she said. 3 He told her: “Open the door quietly.” 4 She told me, “I have never been to England.”
