Said or Told

Said or Told Do you know when to use  said and when to use  told? Some students find these words confusing. This article should clarify things for you. By Rebecca Kennison Rules and Examples RULE:  Say  cannot be followed by a direct personal object (for example,  me, him, her, us, them, John, Peter, Mary). Use  told  instead. INCORRECT: I  said  her to send me the document. CORRECT: I  told  her to send me the document. INCORRECT: The teacher  said  the class that hot air rises and cold air sinks. CORRECT: The teacher  told  the class that hot air rises and cold air sinks. RULE: Do not use  tell  with the preposition  to. Remove the preposition or rephrase your sentence with  say. INCORRECT: I  told to  her my phone number. CORRECT: I  told  her my phone number. CORRECT: I  said  my phone number. RULE: Do not use  it  after  tell  to refer to a fact. Remove the extra word. INCORRECT: Ill  tell you it  tomorrow. CORRECT: Ill  tell  you tomorrow. EXCEPTION: Ill tell you it gave me the strangest feeling I ever had.  Video Lesson on Said and Told Free Grammar Checkers Virtual Writing Tutor grammar checker website Grammarly plugin for Chrome Please follow and like us: