Hence one might reasonably expect the information in the object of say to be more exact or precise a rendering than that in the direct object of tell. Change the following sentences into Indirect Speech : 1. What are the differences between “May” & “Might” / “May have” & “Might have” in strict English? Are lizards from the same family as dinosaurs? Whereas "I said to him the moon is made of cheese" can be a lie. I didn’t understand what she said to me. The least said the better. Words for the act of tricking with subtle differences. Why do new engines have a case with a triangular tiling pattern? Why do dig, host and nslookup return different results? Another difference is that, while whatever appears as the direct object of tell may be a paraphrase of the message, the direct object of say is the message itself. 3. Why do the Kardashians only date black guys? Say, on the other hand, is monotransitive. Tell is ditransitive, that is, it can take a direct and an indirect object, as in I told him a lie. That's not saying there's a truth difference here, understand; anybody can lie and anybody can report any statement. “Look,” she said to me. The only other difference is that 'told' has an idiom: You would never say: "I said so to you!" The sentence I told my wife it wasn’t lipstick on my collar might well contain a lie, while I said that I’d been unfaithful to her might be true. To say is to utter or express something; it's more general. rev 2020.11.24.38066, The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, English Language & Usage Stack Exchange works best with JavaScript enabled, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site, Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, Learn more about hiring developers or posting ads with us. Apart from the dictionary definitions, common use indicates this blatantly, there is a difference in intention and content. The Oxford English Dictionary has numerous definitions and citations for both verbs. Example sentences with the word said. Why use "the" in "than the 3.5bn years ago"? said example sentences. I told her that I had enough, saying that her last comment had gone too far. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Service. When do we ever see the "commander" on xcom game? 3 "No," said the Sorcerer. It can also be used when narrating a story, to indicate that someone spoke. Listen to what he has said to you. This is what he said. Moreover, the dativeless say produces an infinitive with an indefinite subject, thus allowing the interpretation of giving general instructions. 6. I should've listened to what my mother said. People may tell a lie, but cannot say a lie. One difference is that tell focusses on the indirect object (the addressee, and therefore on the social aspects of communication), while the focus of say is certainly not on the addressee, but rather on the direct object (the message). How much does it cost to see a trichologist? When you get down to the fine details, every verb is different from every other verb not so much in meaning, but in its syntactic affordances and prohibitions, which, taken together, constitute a large part of what we laughingly call its Meaning. The sentence I told my wife it wasn’t lipstick on my collar might well contain a lie, while I said that I’d been unfaithful to her might be true. Sheela said to … Cornelia said to him! Mentor added his name as the author and changed the series of authors into alphabetical order, effectively putting my name at the last, Is it my responsibility to tell a team member off whom I think is crossing the line. 204+68 sentence examples: 1. 5. In a visual novel game with optional sidequests, how to encourage the sidequests without requiring them? I think you're not alone in concluding what it implies. You might in some cases say: "I said so!" 'Said' can be used either way, but is most commonly used in the intransitive form. The main difference is the use of objects. 2. What is the difference between Astrophysics and Cosmology? It only takes a minute to sign up. There is much to be said on both sides. I was choosing between these two options, and I can't help thinking about the subtle differences. 'Told' can only be used as a transitive verb. Here’s an example of how you can use it in a sentence. Said to be prolific. 4. What are meant by “August pick, October pick, and January pick” in the Presidential running mate selection? Tell, but not say, can have a noun direct object that describes the content of the message: while say, but not tell, can have a noun direct object that describes the speech itself, rather than its content: So, as with most closely-related pairs of common verbs, there are a lot of similarities in their syntax (and why not? Stack Exchange network consists of 176 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. How would sailing be affected if seas had actually dangerous large animals? Write me what she has said to you. Nothing was said to them. He said to them that he was doing what he was doing. There is a difference between ‘to tell’ and ‘to say’. He said he would write to me, but he hasn't. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. But it's consistent with the syntax. How to prevent even root users from uninstalling or tampering the application on macOS. Inverting lower triangular matrix in time n^2. I would never say, 'I said to him the moon was made of cheese.' Why are animals so friendly to capybaras. For example, "I told him your secret" refers to something real and factual. What modern innovations have been/are being made for the piano. English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. Who coined the term ‘Shakespearean sonnet’? SitemapCopyright © 2005 - 2020 ProProfs.com. Was the theory of special relativity sparked by a dream about cows being electrocuted? There may be yet more subtle differences that I haven't thought of. – imperative She said to me, ” I love you!” – direct speech, fact Here is another rule to remember: said/say + something told/tell + somebody something You say something You tell somebody something Megan said that she was sleepy. I said that I had enough, telling her that her last comment had gone too far. No. Read and Listen To Sentences Using the Word "Said" She said goodbye. But, it sounds better to simply use told, in almost all normal cases. What is correct: “I am saying…” or “I am telling…”? Both can take direct quotes, though they are more frequent with say: With an infinitive complement, both say and tell are interpreted as giving orders or direction, rather than stating. The least said, the soonest mended. At what you said to her? “You're never given a dream…” is correct, isn't it? No sooner said than done. ‘Tell’ is restricted to informative/imperative, ‘say’ is arbitrary utterances. Is modern English the most spoken language of all time? He said to his friend, “Rajeev might complain to the Principal.” 5. "The moon is made of cheese," he said to Mary. Enlarging a little on what Lynn has said, in grammatical terms, the difference is a matter of valency, of what other words can follow each verb. Personally I've only seen the transitive form used with a direct quotation, as illustrated below. 4. My father said to me, “You can do this question.” 3. It may be grammatically correct, but it's awkward. I don’t think we can conclude that tell implies a lie and that say doesn’t. Where should small utility programs store their preferences? He told me he will be there at 8 p.m. – informative He said, “How may I help you?” – direct speech, fact She told me not to help her. Their nominalization potentials are different, too. If there is none, choose none. He said, “You must work hard.” 2. Example, “if you say any more lies about Mary I'll tape your mouth up!”, What is the difference between 'tell' and 'say', “Nothing to tell” versus “nothing to say”, MAINTENANCE WARNING: Possible downtime early morning Dec 2/4/9 UTC (8:30PM…, “Question closed” notifications experiment results and graduation. I think say refers to the exact sentence I said, word to word, which can be true or false. Dictionary Thesaurus Examples Sentences Quotes ... "Go and get it for me," said the old prince to Mademoiselle Bourienne. ("It is said" means some people say it, not "I said", so you can't accuse me.). Said To in a sentence | Short example sentence for said to[Class 1-5], Sam in a sentence | Short example sentence for sam[Class 1-5], Asteroids in a sentence | Short example sentence for asteroids[Class 1-5], A Billion in a sentence | Short example sentence for a billion[Class 1-5], Forebears in a sentence | Short example sentence for forebears[Class 1-5], A Chef in a sentence | Short example sentence for a chef[Class 1-5], Recklessness in a sentence | Short example sentence for recklessness[Class 1-5], Unconditionally in a sentence | Short example sentence for unconditionally[Class 1-5], A Christian in a sentence | Short example sentence for a christian[Class 1-5], Abrasions in a sentence | Short example sentence for abrasions[Class 1-5].
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