English 24
24th May 2003
A little bit of GRAMMAR

Hi guys! Our latest instalment on reported speech is SAY and TELL, and the difference in use between them. We'd like to focus on just these two verbs today, as they seem to be the most difficult to remember for students of English as a foreign language. So study hard and then complete the short exercise at the end.

Say and Tell:
If you say who you are talking to, then use tell:
TELL
e.g. Chiara told me (that) she didn't like sushi very much. (Not Chiara said me)
(This is one of the most frequent mistakes made by all those studying English as a second language.)

Otherwise (altrimenti) use say:
SAY
E.g. Chiara said (that) she didn't like sushi very much. (Not Chiara told (that) she…)

Another important point is that you can't say
"Chiara told about her trip to San Francisco",

You have to say:
Chiara told us (or me, you, them, Sean etc.) about her trip to San Francisco.

However if you don't say who she told, you have to say:
Chiara talked (or spoke) about her trip to San Francisco. (But never said about)!!

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1
Complete the sentences with said, told or talked.
e.g. Chiara said she didn't like sushi.

1. Elisa _____ that she didn't like her new job.
2. The doctor ______ us that the prognosis was good.
3. Patricia _____ me about her childhood in Ireland.
4. When I went to visit my dad, he ________ non-stop about cars, motorbikes and Valentino Rossi.
5. The plumber ____ the work would cost a small fortune.
6. The journalist ______ about the terrible poverty in Brazil.
7. On the radio the DJ talked about the film, "Bowling for Columbine".
8. The teacher ____ Joanne her work was very good.

Answers

1. said
2. told us
3. told me
4. talked about
5. said
6. talked about
7. talked about
8. told Joanne