Reported Speech: Say vs. Tell

The secret to choosing between say and tell is all about the listener. In grammar terms, we call this the indirect object. When we use say, we focus on the words someone spoke. We do not usually mention who heard the words. When we use tell, we focus on the person receiving the information. You must mention the listener immediately after the verb. Think of say as a megaphone. You are just putting a message out into the world. Think of tell as a hand-delivered letter. You need a specific name or person on the envelope to deliver it. Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes, so do not worry if it takes a little practice to get it right.

1. 1To build a perfect sentence in reported speech, follow these steps:
2. 2Identify the speaker: Start with the person who originally spoke (e.g., He, She, My boss).
3. 3Choose the verb: Use said (past of say) or told (past of tell).
4. 4Add the listener (for tell only): If you chose told, you must add a person like me, us, him, or Sarah.
5. 5Add the message: You can use the word that to connect the verb to the message, but it is optional.
6. 6Adjust the pronouns: Change I to he or she to match the original speaker.
7. 7Shift the tense: Usually, we move the tense one step into the past (e.g., is becomes was).
8. 8Example with say: He said (that) he was tired.
9. 9Example with tell: He told me (that) he was tired.

You will use this grammar every single day. Imagine you are at a restaurant. Your friend is looking at the menu and says, "I want the pasta." When the waiter arrives, you might report this: "She said she wanted the pasta." This is perfect because you are just reporting the fact.

In a job interview, you might want to show off your skills. You could say, "My previous manager told me I was the most organized person on the team." Using told here is great because it emphasizes the personal feedback you received.

You also use it when giving directions. If someone asks where the library is, you might say, "The police officer told me it was around the corner." This shows you got the information directly from an authority figure. It adds a layer of trust to your story.

Do not use tell if you are not mentioning a listener. It sounds very strange to say, "He told that it was raining." Your listener will be waiting for you to finish the sentence. They will think, "He told WHO?"

Also, do not use say if you want to follow it immediately with a person. "He said me the news" is a common mistake. If you really want to use say with a person, you must use the word to. For example: "He said to me that he was leaving." However, this sounds very formal. It is like wearing a full suit to a casual backyard barbecue. In 99% of daily conversations, just use tell instead. It is much more natural and friendly.

The most frequent error is forgetting the object after tell. Remember: tell needs a friend! You cannot have tell standing all by itself.

• ✗ She told that she was happy.
• ✓ She told me that she was happy.

Another mistake is adding to after tell.

• ✗ I told to him the secret.
• ✓ I told him the secret.

Finally, avoid mixing up the tenses. If the original speech was in the past, the reported speech should usually stay in the past. If your friend said, "I am hungry," do not say, "He said he is hungry" unless he is still standing there with a growling stomach right now. Usually, we say, "He said he was hungry."

You might also know the verbs speak and talk. These are different! Speak is usually for languages or very formal situations. You speak English, or a professor speaks at a university. Talk is about the act of having a conversation. You talk with your friends about movies.

Neither speak nor talk is used to report a specific message or sentence. If you want to repeat exactly what someone mentioned, you must stick with our stars: say and tell. They are the specific tools for reporting information. Using speak to report a message is like trying to use a hammer to turn a screw. It is the wrong tool for the job.