Los verbos say y tell se utilizan de distintas formas en el lenguaje. Say se enfoca en las palabras que alguien dijo; en cambio, tell está más en el contenido o el mensaje de lo que alguien dijo:
Los verbos say y tell tienen significados similares. Ambos aluden a la "comunicación verbal con alguien". Sin embargo, hay diferencias con respecto a su uso.
- "How do you feel", he said ("Cómo te sientes", dijo él.)
- Tell me what you are thinking? (Dime que lo que estás pensando?)
Los verbos say y tell tienen significados similares. Ambos aluden a la "comunicación verbal con alguien". Sin embargo, hay diferencias con respecto a su uso.
➤ Los verbos SAY y TELL son verbos irregulares:
- SAY - presente simple | SAID - pasado simple
- TELL - presente simple | TOLD - pasado simple
A continuación algunos ejemplos:
Por lo general, los verbos tell y say pueden ir seguidos de complemento directo o indirecto:
➤ Cuando se habla de varias personas (con complemento indirecto):
- The general manager told us that he does not like lazy people. (El director general nos dijo que no le gusta la gente holgazana.)
- My sister told me to do the homework. (Mi hermana me dijo que haga los deberes)
➤ Cuando se utiliza tell para hablar de una sola persona (con complemento directo:
- It doesn't pay him to tell silly stories. (No le merece la pena contar historias tontas)
- He doesn't like to tell lies. (No le gusta decir mentiras)
- Incorrecto:
saying tales|say lies(correcto: tell a lie).
➤ Tell utilizado con fines personales:
- Peter told me that he will not be coming.
- She told me that she had enough.
➤ Tell para decir o recordar algo:
- How can you tell the meaning of his action?
- You can tell he is lying by the expression of his face.
➤ Say con diálogo directo para instrucciones o informaciones:
- Here is the annual report. That's fine, John said, thank you.
- Mary said, I will travel to Spain by coach during the weekend.
- The guide said, "this is the National Gallery, one the most important museums in the UK."
➤ Say con preguntas directas:
- Do you have something to say? No, I have nothing to say.
- Did you say that you were coming home at Christmas? Yes, I did say that.
- You said that he was a nice guy, did you? Yes, I did say that, but I made a mistake.
➤ Say para decir algo a alguien:
- Richard said to me that he was coming.
- My cousin said that he will get married.
- They said that they will go on holidays next summer.