Common Errors in English: Said and Told

Don’t say: “She said me that she was happy.”

Say: “She told me that she was happy.”

Or: “She said that she was happy.”

Tell means “to give information to a person” – so tell (present) and told (past) are always followed by a person: me, you, him, her, us, them, John, Jane, the teacher, etc.

With say (present) or said (past), we can use these structures:

1. say (something)
Frances says she doesn’t like chocolate.

2. say that (something)
I said that the new website design was great.

3. say (something) to (a person)
What did the teacher say to you when you failed the test?

4. “(something)” a person said
“Nice to meet you,” Harry said.

Just remember – you say something, and you tell someone something!

Clear up your doubts about confusing words… and use English more confidently!

Common Errors in English: Said and Told Espresso English

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