What is the different between say and tell?

What is the different 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.

How do you teach the difference between say and 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: ‘Hello,’ she said. Not: ‘Hello,’ she told.

What is the meaning of tell and say?

Meanings of Tell and Say The main meaning of tell is to “say or write something to someone.” The main meaning of say is to “use your voice to express something in words.” However, there are some clear and easy rules to follow about when to use these two words, as shown below.

When to use Ask tell and say?

How to use Say, Tell and Ask

  1. 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.
  2. Tell. Tell is usually followed immediately by a person. Said is not:
  3. Ask. Ask is used for questions: What is your name?

How do you use say?

say. [transitive, transitive] to speak or tell someone something, using words + speech “Hello!” she said. “That was marvelous,” said Daniel. In stories the subject often comes after said, says or say when it follows the actual words spoken, unless it is a pronoun.

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?

[M] [T] Please say hello to your parents for me. [M] [T] She wanted him to say that he loved her. [M] [T] They say that a large dam will be built. [M] [T] Go say goodbye to them before they leave.

What tense is say?

The past tense of say is said Present Tense: Say Past Tense: Said Past Participle: Said Present Participle: Saying Past Participle: Said What she said was fair comment . He said he wanted to go to town. The past tense of say is said; No promise, only said not over of lies.

What is difference between look and see?

First, let’s read their definitions: see means to notice or become aware of (someone or something) by using your eyes. look means to direct your eyes in a particular direction. watch means to look at (someone or something) for an amount of time and pay attention to what is happening.

Which is correct talk to or talk with?

Talk to and talk with both mean to converse with someone. In almost all cases, talk to and talk with can be used interchangeably.

What type of verb is say?

Irregular verb: To Say.

Does say mean example?

Say means approximately or for example. An example of say used as an adverb is to make a statement using the word “say” before the actual estimate such as, “That ice cream cone has, say, 700 calories,” which means the ice cream cone has about 700 calories.

What is the difference between say and tell?

Key Differences Between Say and Tell The differences between say and tell can be drawn clearly on the following grounds: The word ‘say’ is used to state something, specifically opinion, feelings, suggestions and so forth. On the other hand, tell is used to say something to a person, i.e. provide information or narrate something.

Is it better to say or tell in a report?

But, when it comes to “say” and “tell,” you can use either of them for reported speech. Just remember the simple rule: Use “say” when the listener isn’t important. Use “tell” when you want to mention the listener.

When to use “say” and “tell” in reported speech?

But, when it comes to “say” and “tell,” you can use either of them for reported speech. Just remember the simple rule: Use “say” when the listener isn’t important. Use “tell” when you want to mention the listener. “He said that the spaceship was too noisy.” “He told me that the spaceship was too noisy.”

How do you use the word tell?

Sometimes “tell” can be really, really general. That’s when we use it with a noun. So we can tell the truth or tell a lie. We can make people laugh by telling a joke, or we can impress people by telling the future. (Except you can’t. No one can tell the future.