Everyone who studies English sooner or later comes up with the question of which English verb to choose for the word "say". This question arises because there are four such verbs in the English language, and they all mean practically the same thing: say, tell, speak, talk. The difference between them is small, but still exists.
Let's deal with each in order.
First synonym - say
Say means say, express idea.
The verb say is used when we need to say something. The process of communicating information is important to us. We don’t care about the reaction of the interlocutor, we don’t need an answer. We just said the phrase and the process is over. Say is often used after direct speech.
Examples: Don't say anything! - Do not say anything!
'I'm at home', Tom said. “I'm home,” said Tom.
The second synonym is tell
Tell means "tell," "tell information."
We use the word tell when you need to tell people something. We can tell a story from our life, a funny event, share something. This is our monologue, which also does not require an answer.
After tell, you must tell who the story is addressed to.
For instance:
Tell us your funny story! - Tell us your funny story!
I told my friend that I liked her dress. “I told my friend that I like her dress.”
The third synonym is speak
Speak - "talk", "engage in dialogue."
Speak is used when dialogue occurs. We say that they respond to us, so two-way communication takes place.
For instance:
I don't like to speak with my boss. - I do not like talking to the boss.
When we mean the ability to speak foreign languages, we also use speak. For instance:
He speaks English and Spanish. - He speaks English and Spanish.
After speak, you can use both to and with, these options are equivalent. However, when we say I speak to my friend, it means that I speak more and the friend listens more.
Speak with is also more commonly used in American English.
Fourth Synonym - talk
Talk - "talk", "conduct dialogue."
Talk also means having dialogue when we speak and are answered. When we talk with someone, it means that we know him well, maybe he is our friend.
Talk must be used with to! That is talk to someone.
For instance:
I want to talk to you. - I want to talk to you.
The mother talked to her daughter and gave some advice. - Mom talked with her daughter and gave her advice.
Say and tell. Determine the difference
In theory, everything seems to be clear, but in practice it often happens that both say and tell mean "say." Then, to understand the difference between say and tell, grammar rules will help us.
Rule 1
After tell, we must indicate to whom the appeal is addressed. That is, there must be a personal addition. After say this instruction may not be.
Compare:
"Close the window, please", said Tom.
"Close the window, please," said Tom.
and
"Close the window, please", Tom told me.
“Close the window, please,” Tom told me.
Rule 2
After tell no pretexts are required!
Tom told to me - wrong.
Tom told me - right.
Rule 3
After say, it is required to if we want to show who we are talking to.
"We should do our homework", my sister said to me.
“We have to do our homework,” my sister told me.
Rule 4
In direct speech sentences, the author’s words include the word say. Often we use this synonym to indicate quotes, exclamations, etc.
"Let's pick up this kitty, it's so pretty", she said. “Let's get this kitten, he's so cute,” she said.
The brother said to his little sister: "Take the umbrella, it's raining".
The brother said to his sister: "Take an umbrella, it is raining."
When we have questions in direct speech, we take say. For instance:
He said: "Will you come to my place place tonight?"
He said / asked: "Will you come to me tonight?"
Tell is also used to introduce direct speech, but only if instructed, instructed, or instructed.
The choice between say and tell in this case depends on the context. For instance:
"Come home before 10 pm and don't forget to call me", the mother said.
“Come home no later than 22 hours and do not forget to call me,” my mother said. (He just said once and that’s all, this is the end of the conversation).
"Come home before 10 pm and don't forget to call me", the mother told her daughter.
“Come home no later than 22 hours and do not forget to call me,” said the mother of her daughter. (This option is more like mother's daughter's moralizing).
The difference between say and tell in indirect speech
When using indirect speech, there are some nuances in the use of say and tell.
1. In indirect speech, you can use say or tell when we have affirmative sentences. For instance:
Tom said that he had visited many countries. - Tom said that he visited many countries.
or
Tom told me that he had visited many countries. - Tom told me that he visited many countries.
In interrogative sentences you need to use the word ask (ask) or its synonyms.
Examples:
She asked me if it was cold outside. - She asked if it was cold outside.
Instead of asking, we can also use other verbs, such as advise (advise), agree (suggest), suggest (suggest), recommend (advise), promise (promise) and others.
For instance:
She advised to take an umbrella. - She advised to take an umbrella.
She demanded that everything should be done by the next morning. “She demanded that everything be done until the next morning.”
2. There are also combinations with the verb tell, which mean directions, advice and recommendations. For instance:
The teacher told me to repeat this rule.
Master advised me to repeat this rule.
Tell Bob to go home and have a rest.
Tell Bob to go home and rest.
3. A separate rule is made up of stable expressions in which only tell can be used and which must be remembered:
Tell the truth - tell the truth.
Tell a lie - lie.
Tell a story - tell something (story).
Tell the time - tell the time.
Passive voice
There is also a difference between say and tell in passive voice. In a passive voice, these phrases will sound like:
I was told. “It means that they either told me something, or they said, they ordered me to do something.”
I was told a funny story. “They told me a funny story.”
He was told to close the door. - He was told (ordered) to close the door.
I am said. “That means they talk about me.” After this construction, we use to plus the initial form of the verb. For instance:
I am said to be a good football player. - They say about me that I am a good football player.
He is said to be a gentleman. - They say that he is a gentleman.
Examples for securing material
"I'm hungry", he said. “I'm hungry,” he said.
"I'm hungry", he said to me. “I'm hungry,” he told me.
"I'm hungry", he told me. “I'm hungry,” he told me.
(We pay attention to the preposition to and its absence).
We were speaking after the lesson when he told me that he was hungry. “We talked to him after class, when he told me he was hungry.”
I talked to him and suggested to have dinner. “I talked to him and suggested going for lunch.”
I said: "Would you like to eat out?" - I said: "Do you want to go out for lunch?"
I asked: "Would you like to eat out?" - I asked: "Do you want to go out for lunch?"
"You should always take some snacks from home, it's harmful for your health when you are very hungry", I told him. “You always need to take something to eat from home, to be hungry - it is very unhealthy,” I told him. (Moral teaching).
She said that she was hungry. - He said he was hungry.
I asked if she was hungry. “I asked if she was hungry.”
I suggest him to eat out somewhere. “I suggested he go out to eat.”
I told him to go home and have dinner. - I told (advised) him to go home and have lunch.
To tell the truth, it's harmful to be hungry. - To be honest, it is very harmful to be hungry.
He is told to go home and have dinner. - He was told (ordered) to go home and have lunch.
He is said to be always hungry. - They say about him that he is always hungry.
All of these examples are grammatically correct. You can use any of the options, depending on the context.
Exercises for the difference between say, tell, speak, talk
Translate sentences into English, considering all features of use.
- “It's very cold today,” Tom said.
- My friend told me about his funny incident.
- Tom told me it's very cold outside.
- I speak english and french.
- We usually meet and talk with friends after work.
- I need to talk to you.
- I don't like talking to strangers on the street.
- He said that he would come home very late.
- My friend told me that he would help me do my homework.
- The girl asked where the cinema is located.
- Mom advised me to go to bed early.
- Tell Tom not to be late for the lesson.
- I was advised to read this book.
- I never lie.
- To be honest (to tell the truth), I did not like this movie.
- They say that she went abroad.
- He agreed to go to the cinema with me.
- I talked with a passerby and he told me the time.
In fact, everything is not so complicated. You just need to understand the rules and remember the most common cases of use. We wish you to always make the right choice between these synonyms, and success in further learning the English language!