Say the truth or tell the truth?

What it means

• Say or tell? One small word, a big mistake.
• Say the truth. Tell the truth.
• TELL + the truth, a lie, a joke, a story He told me a funny joke.
• She said me hello. She said hello to me.

Transcript

Tap a line to play it.

1. 0:00Say focuses on the words someone said,
2. 0:02and tell focuses more on the message of what someone said.
3. 0:06“Hello,” she said.
4. 0:08Notice: not “Hello,” she told.
5. 0:10He told me that he was going on holiday.
6. 0:13Notice the focus is on the information.
7. 0:16We use tell with words such as truth,
8. 0:18a lie, a joke and a story.
9. 0:21You should always tell the truth.
10. 0:23Notice we don't say “say the truth,” but “tell the truth.”
11. 0:28Say does not take an indirect object.
12. 0:31Instead, we use a phrase with “to”:
13. 0:33And then she said to me, “Come this way.”
14. 0:36Not “And then she said me.”

Quick quiz

1. Question 1 of 2

   Which sentence is correct?

   AShe told me a joke.BShe spoke me a joke.CShe talked me a joke.DShe said me a joke.

2. Question 2 of 2

   Which verb do we use with “the truth”, “a lie” and “a story”?

   AspeakBtalkCtellDsay