Say is used to report
someone's words:
*
She said "I'm thirsty."
* She said that she was thirsty.
Say is followed
by 'to' before the object:
* Did she say that to you?
Say is used to
ask about languages :
* How do you say 'water' in
Spanish?
We say :
hello, goodbye, please, thank you,
congratulations, Merry Christmas,
Happy New Year, Happy Birthday!
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Tell is used to inform or instruct :
* Could you tell me the way to
the
station
please?
* Tell the children to go to
bed!
Tell is followed directly by the
object :
* Did she tell you her name?
Tell is used for narration :
* Tom is good at telling
stories.
We tell :
the time, our name, the truth, lies,
the difference between two things.
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