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Hi Café Addicts!
I'm starting a new edition on my Tutor's Column called "Student Menu." In these posts, I will address questions that some of my students have asked. Today, I will try to clear things up on the usages of say and tell.
Say
- Used with direct and indirect speech: Dani said, "It's cold" (direct). / Dani said that it was cold (indirect).
- Often used without a personal object: Rhys said that he loves teaching. (We don't know who he said it to - no personal object)
- If we want to put a personal object after say, we use to: What did René Zellwegger say to you when you met her?
Tell
- Used with direct and indirect speech: René told me that she was travelling alone. (After tell, we usually say who is told. Tell someone something)
- Only used to instruct or inform: I told a few of my students about my interesting engagement story (inform). / I also told them how to remember the vocabulary words from my story (instruct).
- Tell is used to tell someone to do something: When I was young, my sister always told me to get her snacks or drinks (true story).
- Tell is not used before objects like a word, a name, a sentence or a phrase: "Kathy said a naughty word," not "Kathy told a naughty word."
- We usually do not use it after tell to refer to a fact: "I'll tell you tomorrow," not "I'll tell it to you tomorrow."
- Tell someone again (repeat): "I don't want to tell you again to get your feet out of your mouth," said the angry mother.
That's it for part one, everyone! I hope that helped. Stay tuned for part two - I will explain speak and talk. Have a lovely weekend!
Glossary:
Addict (noun) - A person who likes or enjoys something very much and spends a large amount of time doing it.
Edition (noun)- Something presented as one in a series.
Clear things up (expression used as verb) - To explain clearly.
Stay tuned (imperative clause) - Wait for.
- Dani L. <3
