SAY/SAID TELL/TOLD
a volte sono intercambiabili nel senso di DIRE A ma con costruzione diversa:
What did you say to him? What did you tell him?
What did he say to the police? What did he tell the police?
He said to me that she was coming. He told me that she was coming
SAY |
TELL |
||
In generale dire ...che cosa
say (something)
QUALCUNO DICE QUALCOSA |
In generale e' seguito da un pronome senza TO (dire
QUALCUNO DICE A QUALCUN ALTRO QUALCOSA |
||
Focalizza il soggetto del dire |
They asked if I was looking for work and I said yes. |
Focalizza il contenuto del messaggio piu' che sul soggetto |
She told him they were going on holiday. (The focus is on the information.)
tell the time |
Si usa sa nel discorso diretto o indiretto o riportare un dire di altri |
‘Hello,’ she said.
She said she would wait for us outside.
|
Si puo' usare Tell nel discorso diretto solo per dare informazioni o istruzioni |
John told Nok, "Turn on the TV."
John told Nok: "I was born in 1987" |
Dire qualcosa indirettamente |
He said that he likes coffee. |
Si usa nel senso di raccontare con the truth, a lie, a joke, a story: |
You should never tell a lie.
Come on Kevin. You’re good at telling jokes. |
Say + TO INF
|
‘I’m in a hurry,’ he said to me.
|
Con un complemento di termine senza TO
|
They told us to come back the next day.
They told her to wait till the doctor arrived.
|
Si usa to say nelle seguenti espressioni:
To
say hello/goodbye: salutare
|
He
left without saying goodbye.
She
said yes. |
Si usa il verbo to tell, anche se non viene espressa la persona a cui si parla:
To
tell the time: dire/leggere l'ora
|
He
can't tell the time yet. Don't tell lies! (Non dire bugie!) Tell me the truth. (Dimmi la verità.) He told the child off. (Sgridò il bambino.) I
can't tell the difference between the two versions. I told you a thousand times: te l'ho già detto un'infinità di volte |
COSTRUZIONI PASSIVE IMPERSONALI |
|||
|
Si dice che lei sia una bravissima insegnante She is said to be a very good teacher.
|
|
Mi dissero di aspettare.
I was told to wait.
|
NON USARE TELL/SAY NELLE DOMANDE INDIRETTE MA USARE ASK |
|||
Mi dissero cosa volevo mangiare They asked what I wanted to eat.
Mi dissero se non ero mai stato la
She asked if I had ever been there.
|