say or tell
When do we use say and tell?
Word | Explanation | Example |
---|---|---|
say | to say something (say is followed immediately by a noun clause) | Andrew said that Max was right. |
If you want to put a personal object after say, use the word to. | He said to his father that Max was right. | |
tell | to tell someone something (tell is followed by an object noun or pronoun) | Can you tell me the way to the station, please? |
Note:
- In formal situations, the verb must be formed in the past tense. Andrew told me that he was right.
- Informal it is ok to say: Andrew told me that he is right.
Look at the following examples:
- Some might say that he was right. (some people believe)
- It is said to bring good luck. (in the sense of ›always‹)
- No one goes home without my say-so. (used as a statement)
- Let me have my say. (say is used as a noun)