These questions ask you to choose between say and tell or to supply the correct past form with a listener. The reliable signal is whether the sentence names the person who hears the information.
Check for a listener before choosing the verb
First find the clause that contains the information being reported. Then look immediately before it for a listener such as me, us, a name or a noun phrase referring to people. If no listener is named, use say before the clause. If a listener is named, you have two standard routes: tell followed directly by that person, or say followed by to and then that person.
| What the sentence includes | Pattern |
|---|---|
| Information, but no named listener | said plus a that-clause |
| A named listener with tell | told plus the listener plus a that-clause |
| A named listener with say | said plus to plus the listener plus a that-clause |
Keep the small word to attached to say, not to the listener itself. A useful substitution check is to replace the listener with me. Told me sounds structurally complete before the information clause; said me does not, so say needs said to me. Also check that tell has not been left alone before that, because tell needs someone to receive the information.
The traps
| Tempting pattern | How to reject it |
|---|---|
| said followed directly by a person | Say cannot take the listener as a direct personal object. Insert to before the person, or use tell with the person directly. |
| told followed immediately by a that-clause | Tell needs a personal object. If nobody is named, use say; if someone is named, place that person directly after told. |
| told to followed by a person | The preposition belongs with say. Remove to after told so that the listener becomes its direct personal object. |
Do one final left-to-right scan: reporting verb, possible to, possible listener, then the information clause. That sequence exposes every mixed error in this contrast without relying on which verb merely sounds more familiar.
Try it
At the morning briefing, Elena ___ the west entrance was closed.
- said that the west entrance was closed
- told that the west entrance was closed until further notice
- said the attendants that the west entrance was closed
- told to the attendants that the west entrance was closed
Select all sentences that correctly name a listener with say or tell.
- The sailor said the harbour officer that the buoy light was flickering.
- The paramedic said to Jo that the bandage should remain dry.
- The coordinator told the caterer that twelve guests were vegetarian.
- The farmer told to the mechanic that the tractor was losing power.
Complete the sentence with the past form of tell and the stated recipient. The dispatcher ___ that the parcel would be delayed. (the driver)