Grammar Games Speed Round
Say vs Tell Game
Choose the verb that fits the words and the listener.
READY WHEN YOU ARE
Choose your run
No sign-up. Just a quick round and the corrections that matter.
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Play first. Understand every answer.
The round is short; the corrections are the lesson. Use the guide below whenever you want a refresher.
How to play
- Choose Practice for an untimed round, or Challenge for twelve timed questions and three lives.
- Practice lets you choose a difficulty; Challenge mixes all three levels.
- Read each correction and continue with the related exercise.
Grammar guide
Say vs Tell Game: rules and examples
Say focuses on the words spoken; tell usually takes a listener directly. With say, add to before a listener. Learn common phrases such as say hello and tell a story.
01
Said and told
Said can introduce a that-clause without a listener. Told normally takes a person directly after it.
She said that she was tired.
No listener follows said.She told me that she was tired.
Me is the listener after told.
02
Name the listener
Say something to someone, or tell someone something without to.
He said hello to us.
To introduces the listeners after said.He told us the news.
Told takes the listeners directly.
03
Common phrases
Use say hello, sorry, yes or no. Use tell a story, joke, lie or the truth.
She said sorry to her friend.
Say sorry takes to before the listener.He told a joke.
Tell a joke is a fixed phrase.
FAQ
Is this say vs tell game free?
Yes. Practice and Challenge are free without an account.
What is the difference between say and tell?
Say focuses on the words; tell normally takes a listener directly after it.
Can I say said me?
No. Say said to me or told me.
Why is it tell a story without a person?
Tell a story is a fixed phrase; a listener can still be added, as in tell a story to the class.
Can I use this game in class?
Yes. Ask learners to find the listener and identify the fixed phrase before answering.
Is my score saved?
Your best Challenge score is saved in this browser, not your account.