Mistake: Say vs Tell

say + words; tell + person.

Examples

• She said hello.
• She told me.

Key rules

• Say is used with words, speech or a language: she said hello
• Tell is used with a person as the object: she told me
• Use tell with a story, a truth or instructions for a person

Common mistakes

• She told hello → She said hello
• She said me the news → She told me the news

Use cases

• Reported speech
• Telling a story
• Writing dialogue