Image Credit: freepik.com
❶ First difference:
...with say, you "don't need to mention" who the ideas or information were shared with...
...but with tell, "you do".
Examples:
✅ Correct: Ligia said /séd/ that she likes guacamole.
✅ Correct: Ligia said /séd/ that she likes guacamole.
❌Incorrect: Ligia told that she likes guacamole. Instead you must say: Ligia told me that she likes guacamole.”
===========
===========
❶ Second difference:
say goes with preposition to, since it identifies the person who was spoken to.
✅ Correct: That’s what Ligia said /séd/ to me.
❌Incorrect: That's what Ligia said /séd/ me.
However, tell to is incorrect.
✅ Correct: That’s what Ligia said /séd/ to me.
❌Incorrect: That’s what Ligia said me.
✅ Correct: That’s what Ligia told me.
✅ Correct: That’s what Ligia told me.
❌Incorrect: That’s what Ligia told to me.
===========
===========
❶ Third difference:
tell should not be used to repeat the exact words that someone else said, unless the words give instructions or report information. This rule does not apply to say.
Examples:
✅ Correct: Leticia said, "Okay, let’s go for a drink!"
❌Incorrect: Leticia told us, "Okay, let's go for a drink"
✅ Correct: Leticia told us, "Come eat!" (Come eat is an instruction.)
❌Incorrect: Leticia said, "Come to eat"
Hint: don't use tell to repeat direct speech.
===========
===========
❶ Primera diferencia:
Say y tell son utilizados para transmitir una idea o información. La diferencia más importante entre ellos es que...
...con say, "no es necesario que menciones" con quién fue compartida la idea o información...
...pero con tell, "sí lo es".
Examples:
✅ Correct: Ligia said that she likes guacamole.
❌Incorrect: Ligia told that she likes guacamole. Instead you must say: Ligia told me that she likes guacamole.”
===========
===========
❶ Segunda diferencia:
say va con la preposición to, ya que ella identifica a la persona con la que se le habla.
Examples:
✅ Correct: That’s what Ligia said to me.
❌Incorrect: That's what Ligia said me.
Sin embargo, tell to es incorrecto en este contexto.
✅ Correct: That’s what Ligia said to me.
❌Incorrect: That’s what Ligia said me.
✅ Correct: That’s what Ligia told me.
✅ Correct: That’s what Ligia told me.
❌Incorrect: That’s what Ligia told to me.
===========
===========
❶ Tercera diferencia:
tell (contar) no se uitliza para repetir de manera exacta lo que te dijeron, a menos que las palabras dichas sean instrucciones o proporcionen alguna información. Esta regla no se aplica para say (decir).
Examples:
✅ Correct: Leticia said, "Okay, let’s go for a drink!"
❌Incorrect: Leticia told us, "Okay, let's go for a drink"
✅ Correct: Leticia told us, "Come eat!" (Come eat is an instruction.)
❌Incorrect: Leticia said, "Come to eat"
Pista: no uses tell para repetir un discurso directo.
===========
===========
❶ Primeira diferença:
Say (dizer) and tell (contar) são usados para relatar ideias ou informações que foram expressas na linguagem falada. A diferença mais importante entre esses verbos é que...
...com say (dizer), você "não precisa mencionar" com quem a ideia ou informação foi compartilhada...
...mas com tell (contar), "é necessário".
Examples:
✅ Correct: Ligia said that she likes guacamole.
❌Incorrect: Ligia told that she likes guacamole.
✅ Instead you must say: Ligia told me that she likes guacamole.”
===========
===========
❶ Segunda diferença:
say (dizer) deve ser usada com a preposição to, pois identifica a pessoa com quem conversamos.
Examples:
✅ Correct: That’s what Ligia said to me.
❌Incorrect: That's what Ligia said me.
No entanto, tell to (contar) está errado.
✅ Correct: That’s what Ligia said to me.
❌Incorrect: That’s what Ligia said me.
✅ Correct: That’s what Ligia told me.
✅ Correct: That’s what Ligia told me.
❌Incorrect: That’s what Ligia told to me.
===========
===========
❶ Terceira diferença:
tell (contar) não se usa para repetir discursos diretos, a menos que esses discursos forneçam ou relatem informações. Essas regras não se aplicam ao verbo say (dizer).
Examples:
✅ Correct: Leticia said, "Okay, let’s go for a drink!"
❌Incorrect: Leticia told us, "Okay, let's go for a drink"
✅ Correct: Leticia told us, "Come eat!" (Come eat is an instruction.)
❌Incorrect: Leticia said, "Come to eat"
Dica: não use tell (contar) em discursos diretos, ou seja, repetir o que disseram a você exatamente como a pessoa falou.
===========
1. He ____ me he wasn’t going to work today.
2. He ____ he is not going to class today.
3. ____ me where you live.
4. The children ____ , “Good morning.”
5. I want to ____ something on this subject.
6. I ____ you.
7. Why wasn’t I ____ about the accident?
8. The clock ____ half past two.
9. ____ me a story.
10. What did you ____ ?
11. Did he ____ who called?
12. Martina ____ that Claudine will be his “friend for life”.
13. ____ me the truth.
14. He ____ the news to everybody he saw.
15. He ____ with some conviction that we should go left.
16. ____ me what you want.
17. I ____ let’s eat out.
18. They’ve ____ us they’re not coming.
19. I ____ , why not?
20. ____ what’s on your mind.
21. They asked if I was looking for work and I ____ yes.
22. Then he ____ me how he had got the job by lying about his age.
23. ‘Hello,’ she ____ .
24. She ____ him they were going on holiday.
25. She ____ him they were going on holiday.
26. She ____ ‘I don’t know what you mean.’
27. I ____ her why it had happened.
28. The boy ____ us he didn’t want any money.
29. You should never ____ a lie.
30. Come on Kevin. You’re good at ____ jokes.
31. And then she ____ to me, ‘I’m your cousin. We’ve never met before.’
32. They ____ us to come back the next day.
33. They ____ her to wait till the doctor arrived.
34. ‘I’m in a hurry,’ he ____ to me.
35. Then a loud voice ____ , ‘Hello.’
36. She ____ she would wait for us outside.
Answer key:
1. He told me he wasn’t going to work today.
2. He said he is not going to class today.
3. Tell me where you live.
4. The children said, “Good morning.”
5. I want to say something on this subject.
6. I told you.
7. Why wasn’t I told about the accident?
8. The clock says half past two.
9. Tell me a story.
10. What did you say?
11. Did he say who called?
12. Martina says that Claudine will be her “friend for life”.
13. Tell me the truth.
14. He told the news to everybody he saw.
15. He says with some conviction that we should go left.
16. Tell me what you want.
17. I say let’s eat out.
18. They’ve told us they’re not coming.
19. I say, why not?
20. Say what’s on your mind.
21. They asked if I was looking for work and I said yes.
22. Then he told me how he had got the job by lying about his age.
23. ‘Hello,’ she said.
24. She told him they were going on holiday.
25. She told him they were going on holiday.
26. She said ‘I don’t know what you mean.’
27. I told her why it had happened.
28. The boy told us he didn’t want any money.
29. You should never tell a lie.
30. Come on Kevin. You’re good at telling jokes.
31. And then she said to me, ‘I’m your cousin. We’ve never met before.’
32. They told us to come back the next day.
33. They told her to wait till the doctor arrived.
34. ‘I’m in a hurry,’ he said to me.
35. Then a loud voice said, ‘Hello.’
36. She said she would wait for us outside.
===========
Exercises - Complete with verb tell or say in the present or in the past.
Exercises - Complete with verb tell or say in the present or in the past.
Present Simple Past Simple
I/You/We/They tell I/You/We/They told
He/She/It tells He/She/It told
Present Simple Past Simple
I/You/We/They say I/You/We/They said /séd/
He/She/It says He/She/It said /séd/
1. He ____ me he wasn’t going to work today.
2. He ____ he is not going to class today.
3. ____ me where you live.
4. The children ____ , “Good morning.”
5. I want to ____ something on this subject.
6. I ____ you.
7. Why wasn’t I ____ about the accident?
8. The clock ____ half past two.
9. ____ me a story.
10. What did you ____ ?
11. Did he ____ who called?
12. Martina ____ that Claudine will be his “friend for life”.
13. ____ me the truth.
14. He ____ the news to everybody he saw.
15. He ____ with some conviction that we should go left.
16. ____ me what you want.
17. I ____ let’s eat out.
18. They’ve ____ us they’re not coming.
19. I ____ , why not?
20. ____ what’s on your mind.
21. They asked if I was looking for work and I ____ yes.
22. Then he ____ me how he had got the job by lying about his age.
23. ‘Hello,’ she ____ .
24. She ____ him they were going on holiday.
25. She ____ him they were going on holiday.
26. She ____ ‘I don’t know what you mean.’
27. I ____ her why it had happened.
28. The boy ____ us he didn’t want any money.
29. You should never ____ a lie.
30. Come on Kevin. You’re good at ____ jokes.
31. And then she ____ to me, ‘I’m your cousin. We’ve never met before.’
32. They ____ us to come back the next day.
33. They ____ her to wait till the doctor arrived.
34. ‘I’m in a hurry,’ he ____ to me.
35. Then a loud voice ____ , ‘Hello.’
36. She ____ she would wait for us outside.
Answer key:
1. He told me he wasn’t going to work today.
2. He said he is not going to class today.
3. Tell me where you live.
4. The children said, “Good morning.”
5. I want to say something on this subject.
6. I told you.
7. Why wasn’t I told about the accident?
8. The clock says half past two.
9. Tell me a story.
10. What did you say?
11. Did he say who called?
12. Martina says that Claudine will be her “friend for life”.
13. Tell me the truth.
14. He told the news to everybody he saw.
15. He says with some conviction that we should go left.
16. Tell me what you want.
17. I say let’s eat out.
18. They’ve told us they’re not coming.
19. I say, why not?
20. Say what’s on your mind.
21. They asked if I was looking for work and I said yes.
22. Then he told me how he had got the job by lying about his age.
23. ‘Hello,’ she said.
24. She told him they were going on holiday.
25. She told him they were going on holiday.
26. She said ‘I don’t know what you mean.’
27. I told her why it had happened.
28. The boy told us he didn’t want any money.
29. You should never tell a lie.
30. Come on Kevin. You’re good at telling jokes.
31. And then she said to me, ‘I’m your cousin. We’ve never met before.’
32. They told us to come back the next day.
33. They told her to wait till the doctor arrived.
34. ‘I’m in a hurry,’ he said to me.
35. Then a loud voice said, ‘Hello.’
36. She said she would wait for us outside.
==================================================================================
Comments