Distinguishing say and tell in reported speech – English 3AC
Learn the usual patterns of say and tell when reporting someone’s words.
1. Say and the message
Use say with the message: «She said that she was ready». If you name the listener, use to: «She said to me that she was ready». That may be omitted in many ordinary statements.
2. Tell and the listener
In the pattern tell + person + message, include the listener: «She told me that she was ready». Do not write «She told that…» in this pattern, and do not put to before me.
3. Commands and common expressions
To report an instruction, use tell + person + to + verb: «The teacher told us to listen». Expressions such as tell the truth and tell a story follow other patterns, so do not claim that tell always needs a person immediately after it.
Summary diagram
Worked example
Direct: Sara said, «I am tired».
Reported: Sara said that she was tired.
With a listener: Sara told Adam that she was tired.
The examples report the words later, so am becomes was here.
6 exercises with answers
Try the exercise before opening the answer.
Exercise 1
Choose: She said/told me that she was busy.
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told.
Exercise 2
Correct: He said me the answer.
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He told me the answer, or he said the answer to me.
Exercise 3
Complete: The teacher told us … sit down.
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to.
Exercise 4
Correct: Lina told to me that she agreed.
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Lina told me that she agreed.
Exercise 5
Is «tell a story» correct?
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Yes. It is a different common pattern.
Exercise 6
Report the instruction: «Wait here», the guide said to us.
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The guide told us to wait there, if the report is made from another place.