The verbs say and tell have similar meanings. They both mean "to communicate verbally with someone". But we often use them differently.
The simple way to think of say and tell is:
- You say something
- You tell someone something
| You say something | You tell someone something |
|---|---|
| Ram said that he was tired. | Ram told Jane that he was tired. |
| Anthony says you have a new job. | Anthony tells me you have a new job. |
| Tara said: "I love you." | Tara told John that she loved him. |
Here are a few rules to help you.
Personal object
We usually follow tell with a personal object (the person that we are speaking to). We usually use say without a personal object:
- She told me that she loved John.
- She said that she loved John.
- He told everybody that he had to leave.
- He said that he had to leave.
Say "to someone"
With say, we sometimes use "to someone":
- He said to me that he was tired.
- Tara said to Ram that he had done very well.
- Anthony said to her, "I hope you come soon."
- "I'd like to sleep," she said to him quietly.
GIVE IT A GO HERE. Good luck. Be sure tell us about it in class soon.
Credit: englischhilfen.de