Say and Tell Exercises
Do more with this exercise
Say words; tell someone
Say focuses on the words spoken. Tell normally needs a person or listener after it. Use say to someone when you name the listener, and tell someone without to.
- Say:
- She said that she was tired. Do not put a person directly after say: she said me is wrong.
- Say to:
- She said hello to me. Add to when the listener follows say.
- Tell:
- She told me that she was tired. Put the listener directly after tell.
- Common phrases:
- Say hello/sorry/yes/no; tell a story/a joke/a lie/the truth. Learn these as whole phrases.
- Past forms:
- The past forms are said and told: He said goodbye. He told me the news.
Examples
Maya said that she was late.
said introduces the words; no listener follows directly
Maya told me that she was late.
told takes a listener
He said hello to the teacher.
use to before the listener after say
Grandpa told a story about his childhood.
fixed phrase: tell a story
Please tell me the truth.
tell + listener + information
Audio uses a synthetic voice.
Practice exercises
Choose say or tell
Choose the form that makes a natural English sentence.
1.She ___ me that the train was late.
2.He ___ that he was tired.
3.Please ___ me the truth.
4.They ___ goodbye to us before leaving.
5.Dad ___ us a funny story.
6.What did she ___ to you?
Complete with said or told
Type the past form *said* or *told*. Check whether a listener follows the verb.
Fix say and tell
Replace the incorrect verb or form with the correct one. Keep the rest of the sentence.
13.Choose the mistake in this sentence.
14.Choose the mistake in this sentence.
15.Choose the mistake in this sentence.
16.Choose the mistake in this sentence.
17.Choose the mistake in this sentence.
18.Choose the mistake in this sentence.
How to use say and tell naturally
Say and tell both describe speaking, but they connect to other words differently. Say can introduce the spoken words or a that-clause without naming the listener. If you do name the listener after say, use to. Tell usually places the listener immediately after the verb: “She told me the answer.”
Some common expressions are best learned as whole phrases. People say hello, sorry, yes and no, but they tell a story, a joke, a lie or the truth. When you report an earlier conversation, the past forms are said and told. The same listener rule applies to them.
After you choose the verb, read the whole sentence. If a person appears directly after the verb, told is usually the right form. If a that-clause follows with no listener, said is usually right. These checks help you avoid the common mistakes “said me” and “told that” without an object.
Frequently asked questions
What is the basic difference between say and tell?
Say focuses on the words spoken. Tell usually has a listener directly after it: “She said that she was late” but “She told me that she was late.”
Can I say said me?
No. Use told me, or say said to me when the wording fits: “She told me the news” or “She said hello to me.”
Do I say or tell a story?
Use tell a story, tell a joke, tell a lie and tell the truth. Use say hello, say sorry, say yes and say no.
Can tell be followed by to?
Not before the listener in this pattern. Say “She told me the news,” not “She told to me the news.”
Answer key
1. She ___ me that the train was late.
Answer: told
Tell takes a listener directly: told me.
2. He ___ that he was tired.
Answer: said
There is no listener after the verb, so use said.
3. Please ___ me the truth.
Answer: tell
The phrase is tell someone the truth.
4. They ___ goodbye to us before leaving.
Answer: said
The fixed phrase is say goodbye; to us names the listener.
5. Dad ___ us a funny story.
Answer: told
The phrase is tell someone a story.
6. What did she ___ to you?
Answer: say
With to you, use say: What did she say to you?.
7. He ___ that he wanted to leave.
Answer: said
No listener follows the verb, so use said.
8. She ___ her brother the news.
Answer: told
Her brother is the listener, so use told.
9. The guide ___ us to wait outside.
Answer: told
Tell someone to do something takes the listener directly.
10. I ___ hello to my new neighbour.
Answer: said
The phrase is say hello to someone.
11. They ___ a joke at dinner.
Answer: told
The phrase is tell a joke.
12. My friend ___ that the film was good.
Answer: said
The clause follows directly; there is no listener, so use said.
13. She said me that the shop was closed.
Answer: She told me that the shop was closed.
A listener follows directly, so use told me.
14. He told that he was ill.
Answer: He said that he was ill.
Without a listener, use said that.
15. Please say me the answer.
Answer: Please tell me the answer.
Use tell me the answer; say cannot take me directly.
16. Mum said us a story.
Answer: Mum told us a story.
The fixed phrase is told us a story.
17. I told goodbye to my friend.
Answer: I said goodbye to my friend.
The phrase is said goodbye to someone.
18. They said the truth to the teacher.
Answer: They told the truth to the teacher.
The fixed phrase is tell the truth. To the teacher can name the listener after that phrase.