Tell Me Again What He Said I Said

April 21, 2022 Post a Comment

You lot're about to learn how to use "say" and "tell" in English language. While you're here, check out How to Use "Get" in English.

"Say" and "tell" may have a lot in mutual, but their personalities are actually very, very different.

Here'southward "say":

Stick figure with "say"

She's very belittling. She likes to focus on the details. The context isn't so important to her. She's just interested in the words.

Here'due south "tell":

Stick figure with "tell"

He's different! He likes looking at the words, besides, merely he's also much more interested in generalities. He likes the context. He thinks about the bigger picture show instead of the details.

Don't believe me?

Well, allow's have a expect at the big differences (and similarities) between "say" and "tell."

The main difference between "say" and "tell"

Do yous recognise this?

Say vs tell — Want more useful trivial drawings like this? Check out my book.

This image shows the chief difference between "say" and "tell."

That difference?

Use "say" when the listener isn't of import.

Pretty simple, right?

	Say	Tell
Construction	say something	tell someone something
Instance	"He said we couldn't leave until tomorrow."	"Delight don't tell me that you've spent it all on chocolate coins!"

If you like, you can also include the listener with "say" past adding "to":

	Say	Say to
Structure	say something	say something to someone / say to someone something*
Example	"I know you said it was OK, but … is information technology actually?"	"They all said the same matter to me."

*This structure isn't very common as you tin can tell from this interesting graph:

Ngram told me vs said to me

Oh. And whatever yous do, don't utilize "tell" without a direct object:

✘"He ~~told that~~ …"

✘"My mum used to ~~tell that~~ life begins at 40. Then she changed it to 50."

Things that both "say" and "tell" can exercise

Venn diagram with say and tell

Let's expect at what "say" and "tell" have in common.

In what situations tin can we use either "say" or "tell"?

The answer is when nosotros use reported speech (or what some people call indirect oral communication).

Yous know, when you say what someone else said:

"She said that it was as well difficult."

"He told me he'd honey to come up and encounter her play giraffe lawn tennis."

Now, there are lots and lots of other words y'all can apply to report what someone said, and I strongly recommend using more than just "say" and "tell."

You tin find some very natural examples in my mail service Why Reported Oral communication Is a Waste of Fourth dimension (And What Y'all Should Say Instead).

But, when it comes to "say" and "tell," y'all can use either of them for reported oral communication. Just retrieve the simple rule:

Utilize "say" when the listener isn't of import.
Apply "tell" when yous want to mention the listener.

It's too noisy!

"He said that the spaceship was as well noisy."

"He told me that the spaceship was too noisy."

Recall that you lot don't need to use "that" here:

"He said the spaceship was also noisy."

"He told me the spaceship was too noisy."

Proficient? OK — let's move on to the more interesting stuff!

Things only "say" can do

Venn diagram with say

But let's dig a picayune deeper considering both "say" and "tell" take their own separate personalities, which means there are some things that "say" can do that "tell" can't, and there are some things that "tell" can do that "say" tin't.

Remember that "say" often focuses more on the actual words that someone says. She's detail oriented.

"Tell" is better if you desire to focus on the information more than the actual words.

That's why it's usually much better to use "say" when we're reporting someone's directly words.

And so, we tin say:

"As the twins walked into the room, they both looked at me and said, 'Hullo!' at the same time. It was very weird."

But nosotros tin't say:

✘"Kubra never tells me 'Thank you!' for anything!"

Things only "tell" can do

Venn diagram with tell

OK. Then nosotros've seen how "say" tends to focus on the actual words.

"Tell," on the other hand, is more useful when you want to talk nigh the full general message — when the words themselves aren't and then of import.

In a way, this makes "tell" more than versatile — nosotros tin can apply it in more situations.

"What are those situations?" yous ask with your usual excitement and enthusiasm.

Good question!

Here they are:

"Tell" to report the general bulletin

We tin use "tell" to report the general message instead of what was said.

We do this using this simple structure:

Tell + person + question word* + sentence

*e.g. who, where, what, when, how many, how much, what time …

So you tin say:

"I can't tell him what happened! He'll kill me!"

"Nosotros need to tell them where they tin park their bikes when the shed's airtight."

"Shall I tell her how we installed the virus that wiped out the system? Or do yous retrieve that maybe she wouldn't corroborate?"

You can likewise report the full general bulletin similar this by using "about":

Tell + person + near + substantive

So you tin can say:

"Tell him almost the new Star Wars motion picture!"

"Practise yous actually have to tell me about this? Information technology's kind of disgusting!"

There are also the phrases "Tell me most it!" and "You're telling me!"

They hateful something like "Yep I know this also as anyone else, merely I as well totally hold!"

Kids are expensive

"Tell" to give orders or requests

Orders! Orders that must be obeyed at all times! That's when nosotros utilize "tell"!

Actually, it can exist orders or it can be requests.

Here's the construction:

Tell + someone + to verb

And hither are some lovely examples:

"Please tell me to stop if y'all get bored."

"I'one thousand tired of telling you not to put soya milk all over the laptop! Simply … please! Stop!"

"When will you tell him to get out? He's still there!"

When will you tell him to leave? He's still there!

Sometimes, you tin can likewise use "say" to requite orders.

Say + to do something

"Oh, sorry! Am I in the wrong room? The website said to come to room 144."

Merely be careful! This one's a little informal.

And, as you can run across, much less common (well, since effectually 1875, at least):

Ngram told me to go vs said to go

"Tell" with a noun

Sometimes "tell" can exist really, really general.

That's when we use it with a noun.

So we can tell the truth or tell a lie.

We tin can make people laugh by telling a joke, or nosotros can impress people by telling the future. (Except you can't. No 1 can tell the time to come. Except maybe 1000000.)

Sometimes, when you use it with a noun, "tell" tin can besides hateful something closer to "sympathize."

That'due south why, when you're a kid, y'all learn to tell the fourth dimension.

And why you can talk most how difficult it is to tell the difference between the ii twins.

Creepy twins stick figures

Peradventure it'southward better not to endeavour and tell the departure betwixt them and … just … run away?

OK. And then there nosotros have it — how to use "say" and "tell."

Here's everything together:

Say vs tell: Venn diagram

And here it is in a table:

	Say	Tell
Reported oral communication	"He said that he was too old."	"He told me that he was besides old."
Direct speech	"She politely said, 'Adieu!'"	-
General bulletin	-	"Tell me all about your holiday.
Orders	"The paper said to vote for them! So I did!"	"Don't worry. I won't tell you to practice that again."
With a noun	-	"Tell me a good story!" "She loves telling jokes." "Don't bother. He never tells the truth."