When is said and told used

Here are some collocations that are used with the verbs 'tell' and 'say'. What are idioms? And how can idioms help you become a fluent speaker? Discover a list of the most widely used idiomatic expressions! Phrasal verbs are generally used in spoken English and informal texts. Check out our list of hundreds of phrasal verbs classified in alphabetical order.

Do you want to provide emphasis, freshness of expression, or clarity to your writing? I had only said three words before he interrupted me again. Say is also used to express opinions. They say that you should drink eight glasses of water a day. Vocabulary Quiz. Take the Quiz ». Name That Thing.

Take our visual quiz. Test Your Knowledge ». Learn More ». The Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary. Another way to look at the difference between said and told is that told is often used in sentences constructed in direct speech, whereas said is used in sentences formed using indirect speech. Hence, the differences between said and told are very subtle, but ones that cannot be refrained from. Difference between Said and Told. An easy way of understanding how to use these two words would to be to look at them from the following perspective: You say words.

You tell someone about something. For example: I said that I would be back by Monday. For example: I told that I would be back by Monday. The sentence now looks complete and presents a clearer picture than what it was before. The meaning is the same, but the grammar is different. For example:. Direct speech: John: "I'll be late". Reported speech: John said that he would be late. OR John told me that he was going to be late.