| Word | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| say | to say something (say is followed immediately by a noun clause). If you want to put a personal object after say, use the word to. | Andrew said that he was right.He said to his father that he was right. |
| tell | to tell someone something (tell is followed by an Object noun or pronoun) | Can you tell methe 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.
| 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 |
More:
Said v. is the past simple and past participle of to say.
It can be used in direct speech:
For example: “I am sorry”, said the criminal.
It can be used in indirect (reported) speech (followed by that).
For example: “The criminal said that he was sorry.
Said adj. is used before the name of a person or thing you have already mentioned:
For example: “The said party denied the charges”
Told v. is the past simple and past participle of to tell.
It is normally used in reported speech, i.e. it is used to talk about what people say (followed by an object + that:):
For example: I told him that I would be late.
When told has the meaning of “instruct”, it can be followed by an object and an infinitive.
For example: He told me to leave.
