Reported speech

We can use say and tell to report statements in direct speech, but say is more common. We don’t always mention the person being spoken to with say, but if we do mention them, we use a prepositional phrase with to (to me, to Lorna):

‘I’ll give you a ring tomorrow,’ she said.

‘Try to stay calm,’ she said to us in a low voice.

Not: ‘Try to stay calm,’ she said us in a low voice.

With tell, we always mention the person being spoken to; we use an indirect object (underlined):

‘Enjoy yourselves,’ he told them.

Not: ‘Enjoy yourselves,’ he told.

In indirect speech, say and tell are both common as reporting verbs. We don’t use an indirect object with say, but we always use an indirect object (underlined) with tell:

He said he was moving to New Zealand.

Not: He said me he was moving to New Zealand.

He told me he was moving to New Zealand.

Not: He told he was moving to New Zealand.

We use say, but not tell, to report questions:

‘Are you going now?’ she said.

Not: ‘Are you going now?’ she told me.

We use say, not tell, to report greetings, congratulations and other wishes:

‘Happy birthday!’ she said.

Not: Happy birthday!’ she told me.

Everyone said good luck to me as I went into the interview.

Not: Everyone told me good luck …

See also:

Say or tell?

add

comment

explain

offer

state

admit

complain

hint

order

suggest

advise

confess

inform

point out

threaten

agree

confirm

insist

promise

warn

announce

continue

interrupt

protest

wonder

answer

cry (= shout)

maintain

repeat

ask

demand

note

reply

claim

enquire

observe

shout

The reporting verbs in this list are more common in indirect reports, in both speaking and writing:

Simon admitted that he had forgotten to email Andrea.

Louis always maintains that there is royal blood in his family.

The builder pointed out that the roof was in very poor condition.

Most of the verbs in the list are used in direct speech reports in written texts such as novels and newspaper reports. In ordinary conversation, we don’t use them in direct speech. The reporting clause usually comes second, but can sometimes come first:

‘Who is that person?’ she asked.

‘It was my fault,’ he confessed.

‘There is no cause for alarm,’ the Minister insisted.

See also:

Verb patterns: verb + that-clause