Two patterns: said and told
When reporting someone’s words, we often choose between say and tell. Their meanings are very similar, but their structures differ: the key is whether the sentence names the person addressed.
Said uses “speaker + (that) + message”, without a recipient in this basic pattern. Told uses “speaker + recipient + (that) + message”: the person is required directly after the verb. That can be omitted in both reporting patterns.
subject + said (that) + clause | subject + told + person + (that) + clause
- subject / S —
- The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
- clause —
- A construction with a verb, often with its own subject: when I arrived. A non-finite clause may leave the subject unspoken: to get home.
Peter said that the café was full.
Peter said that the café was full.
No recipient is named: said + that-clause.
Peter told Clara that the café was full.
Peter told Clara that the café was full.
Clara is named directly after told, without to.
Greta told us she would be home by six.
Greta told us she would be home by six.
That is omitted, but the recipient us remains necessary.
Say: no recipient, or a recipient with to
A person does not directly follow say: said me and said him are incorrect. If the recipient needs naming, introduce them with to: said to me, said to the manager.
In everyday reporting, told + person is often preferred when the recipient matters. Said to + person is completely correct, though often less natural for an ordinary report of a message.
The announcer said that the gate had changed.
The announcer said that the gate had changed.
No recipient is named: said that.
Marek said to his boss that the report was ready.
Marek said to his boss that the report was ready.
The recipient follows to: said to + person.
What did Hanna say to you?
What did Hanna say to you?
The recipient also follows to in a question.
Tell: the recipient directly follows the verb
In the active reporting pattern told + person + (that) + message, the recipient is necessary: told me that … . Do not put to between told and this recipient. Other patterns have their own structure: tell the truth, I was told that … .
The recipient can be a noun phrase, such as the tenants or my sister, or an object-form pronoun: me, you, him, her, us, them. Do not use I, he, she or we here: told I is not possible.
Our landlord told the tenants that the heating was broken.
Our landlord told the tenants that the heating was broken.
The recipient the tenants directly follows told.
Please tell your sister that dinner is ready.
Please tell your sister that dinner is ready.
Tell + your sister + that-clause.
Joanna told them she had passed.
Joanna told them she had passed.
Object-form them, without to.
Choosing by meaning: are you naming the recipient?
The same event can be reported with either verb. Said works when the recipient is unimportant, unknown or obvious. Told works when it matters who was told: you, the team or a neighbour.
Both verbs form negatives and questions in the usual way: didn’t tell me, didn’t say that, Did she tell you ...? Remember the base form after didn’t and Did.
The coach said that training was cancelled.
The coach said that training was cancelled.
The content matters; no recipient is named.
The coach told the players that training was cancelled.
The coach told the players that training was cancelled.
The same fact, with the recipients named.
He didn't tell anyone that he was ill.
He didn't tell anyone that he was ill.
The negative with tell retains the recipient anyone.
Tell in fixed expressions: a person is not always required
Some combinations put a noun rather than a person after tell: tell the truth, tell lies, tell a story, tell a joke, tell a secret. They already have an object, so a separate person is optional: She always tells the truth. Say does not naturally combine with these nouns in this use: say a joke and say the truth are not the usual expressions.
If you name a recipient, it can directly follow tell: told the children a story. The order with to after the noun is also possible: told a story to the children. Say naturally combines with greetings and similar expressions: say hello, say goodbye, say sorry.
Remi told the truth about the broken window.
Remi told the truth about the broken window.
Tell the truth does not require a person.
The comedian told three jokes before the break.
The comedian told three jokes before the break.
Joke combines with tell.
Our grandmother told the children a story about a fox.
Our grandmother told the children a story about a fox.
The recipient directly follows told, followed by the noun object.
She said goodbye and left.
She said goodbye and left.
Say combines with greetings and farewells.
The topic’s limits and neighbouring rules
Here we practise choosing say or tell and building their statement-reporting patterns. Clause backshift, such as is → was, and changes to words such as yesterday or here belong to separate topics. The reported clauses are supplied so that attention stays on the reporting verb.
Commands and requests, such as told me to wait, indirect questions and passive I was told that … are studied separately. In told me to wait, the recipient follows told; in the passive, the recipient is already subject I, so no separate me follows told.
She told me to wait outside.
She told me to wait outside.
The same told + person pattern, followed by a to-infinitive: the separate topic of reporting commands.
The nurse said that the clinic was open.
The nurse said that the clinic was open.
The clause is supplied; only the choice of reporting verb is practised here.
Using the patterns in speech
Before speaking or writing a report, ask two quick questions. Does it matter who was told? If yes, use told + person or said to + person. If not, choose said without a person.
Check the active patterns studied here: said (that) + message; told + recipient + (that) + message; said to + recipient. This is not a universal test for every that: in other constructions, that can itself be part of a noun phrase.
My neighbour said that the lift would be fixed soon.
My neighbour said that the lift would be fixed soon.
No recipient is named: said that.
My neighbour told me that the lift would be fixed soon.
My neighbour told me that the lift would be fixed soon.
The speaker is named as recipient: told me.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:My cousin told that she was getting a new job.
Correct:My cousin said that she was getting a new job.
Told requires a recipient in this active reporting pattern. Without a person, use said.
Incorrect:The nurse said me that the doctor was late.
Correct:The nurse told me that the doctor was late.
Said does not take a person directly; me in this structure requires tell.
Incorrect:He told to me that he was busy.
Correct:He told me that he was busy.
The person follows told without to.
Incorrect:He said a lie to his teacher.
Correct:He told a lie to his teacher.
Lie combines with tell rather than say.
Incorrect:Our guide said us about the old town.
Correct:Our guide told us about the old town.
A person does not directly follow said; reporting information about a topic here requires told us about.
Incorrect:She didn't told me the news.
Correct:She didn't tell me the news.
After didn’t, use base-form tell.
Sources
- Cambridge Dictionary blog (Liz Walter) — Say and tell: How to talk about talking (1) (original source review: main article text read)
- Cambridge Dictionary blog (Liz Walter) — Reported speech: how to say what someone told you (original source review: main article text read)
- Wiktionary — tell (original source review: verb senses and fixed expressions read)