Common mistakes
Tell or say: choosing the right reporting verb
Sign in to savePriya told her brother that the shop was closed. Later, she said that she would go back tomorrow. Both verbs report words, but the sentence pattern changes with the listener and the kind of message.
Choose tell or say by checking whether the sentence names a listener, a message, an instruction, or a fixed expression.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
tell / say /tel/ /seɪ/
The short answer
Use tell when you give information or instructions to a person. Use say when you focus on the words or message. Tell normally needs a listener; say normally needs the words or an idea.
The guide told the visitors that the museum was closing.
Why it works: The guide gave information to a named group, so tell is followed by the listener, the visitors.
5 more examples
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Omar told his cousin that the train had arrived.
Tell is followed by the listener, his cousin, and then the information.
Not this:Omar
said thatthe train had arrived. What changes: Say is followed directly by the message. The listener does not need to be named. -
The coach told the players to bring water.
Tell someone to do something gives an instruction to a particular person or group.
Not this:The coach
said thatthe players should bring water. What changes: Say reports the content of the advice rather than using the instruction pattern directly. -
Lena told me the time before the meeting started.
Tell me the time is a common pattern because a person receives the information.
Not this:Lena
said that the meetingwould start at ten. What changes: Say introduces the information that Lena expressed. -
The receptionist said hello to every visitor.
Say hello is a fixed everyday expression. The listener follows to when it is named.
Not this:The receptionist
told every visitorwhere to sign in. What changes: Tell is followed directly by the people who receive the information. -
Please tell the truth about the missing key.
Tell the truth is a fixed expression for giving honest information.
Not this:Please
say what happenedafter you found the key. What changes: Say can introduce the words or account that a speaker gives.
Read the full guide
Look after the verb before you choose. A person directly after the verb usually points to tell: tell Maya, tell us, tell the children. Words, a clause, or a quoted message usually point to say: say hello, say that Maya is late, or say, "Please wait." Then check whether the sentence gives an instruction, because tell someone to do something is a common pattern.
Choose tell when the listener comes first
Tell commonly puts the listener right after the verb. The listener can be a name, a pronoun, or a group: tell Sam, tell her, tell the visitors. After that, add the information. This pattern makes clear who receives the message.
Could you tell the pharmacist that I will arrive after lunch?
Natural: Tell Noor the news. Not usual: Say Noor the news.
Choose say for the words or idea
Say usually leads to the content itself. That content may be a short expression, a noun phrase, a that-clause, or a quotation. You can say sorry, say something helpful, say that you are busy, or say, "I am busy." The focus is the language that was spoken.
Ravi said that he had already sent the form.
Do not put a person immediately after say in this ordinary pattern. Add to before the person when you need to identify them.
Use say to when you name the listener
Both verbs can mention a listener, but their shapes are different. Say needs to before the listener: say hello to a neighbour or say something to the teacher. Tell does not use to before its direct listener: tell a neighbour or tell the teacher.
Say: I said goodbye to the host. Tell: I told the host that I was leaving.
Mara said quietly to her friend that the room was too cold.
Use tell someone to give an instruction
Tell often introduces an instruction with a person and to plus a base verb. The manager told the staff to lock the door. My doctor told me to rest. This is different from say, which can report the advice with a clause: The manager said that the staff should lock the door.
The librarian told us to return the books by Friday.
Use ask rather than tell when the speaker makes a polite request rather than gives an instruction: The librarian asked us to return the books by Friday.
Learn common fixed expressions
A few familiar phrases do not need a long grammar rule. We tell the truth, tell a story, tell a joke, tell the time, and tell the difference. We say hello, say sorry, say thank you, say goodbye, and say no. Learn these as complete phrases, then check the larger sentence pattern.
I could not tell the difference between the two shades of blue.
He said thank you after the neighbour returned his wallet.
Check the sentence before you send it
You need to report that a colleague gave you information about a schedule change. Which sentence fits: My colleague ___ me that the schedule had changed.
Use told. Me is the listener, so tell fits the pattern. You could also write: My colleague said that the schedule had changed, if you do not need to name the listener.
One quick check helps: underline the word after the verb. A listener points to tell. A message points to say. If you see a listener after say, check for to.
Before you go
Remember this
Use tell with the person who receives information: tell us, tell the teacher, or tell them to wait. Use say for the words or message: say hello, say something, or say that you agree. When say has a named listener, add to.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Tell or say: choosing the right reporting verb"
What is the main difference between tell and say?
Tell usually identifies the person who receives information, as in Omar told his cousin about the train. Say usually introduces the words or idea, as in Omar said that the train had arrived. Check what follows the verb.
Omar told his cousin that the train had arrived.
Why do we say tell me but not say me?
Tell can take a listener directly, so tell me the time is natural. Say does not usually take a person directly in this pattern. Use say something to me, just as the receptionist said hello to every visitor.
Omar said that the train had arrived.
How do I give an instruction with tell?
Use tell plus a person and to plus a base verb. The coach told the players to bring water gives an instruction to a named group. You can report the same advice with say that and should, but the grammar changes.
The coach told the players to bring water.
Can I use say with a person?
Yes, but use to when you name the listener: say hello to a visitor or say something to a neighbour. With tell, the person follows directly: tell the visitor where to sign in.
The coach said that the players should bring water.
Which fixed phrases use tell and say?
Common tell phrases include tell the truth, tell a story, tell the time, and tell the difference. Common say phrases include say hello, say sorry, say thank you, and say goodbye. Learn each expression as a complete phrase.
Lena told me the time before the meeting started.