SAY TELL

Analizamos estos dos verbos que confunden al estudiante

hispanohablante debido a que en espaol generalmente usamos el
verbo DECIR.

El inconveniente surge porque no siempre es posible

traducir SAY como "decir" y TELL como "contar, comentar" ya que,
en muchos casos, ambos forman parte de estructuras que hay que
memorizar no hay otra alternativa.

Comparemos sus diferencias:

1. Ambos se usan para hablar en estilo indirecto (Reported Speech).

Cuando utilizamos SAY siempre hay que agregar TO a
continuacin; en cambio, TELL nunca lleva TO.
Ejemplos:
She said to me.
Ella me dijo.
She told me.
Ella me coment.

2. Con SAY la idea es dar un mensaje o idea breve, mientras

que TELL se utiliza con un mensaje ms extenso.
Ejemplos:
He didn't say hello.
l no salud.
He wants to tell you something.
l quiere comentarte algo.

3. TELL se utiliza tambin para hacer pedidos o dar instrucciones,

situacin que no sucede con SAY.
Ejemplos:
Tell him to wait.
Dile que espere.
She told me how to open the gift.
 Ella me indic cmo abrir el regalo.

4. SAY se utiliza tambin para citar ejemplos, bajo un nico formato

(SAY), situacin que no sucede con TELL.
Ejemplos:
I told him not to be rude.
Le dije que no fuera maleducado.
She told me to clean the room.
Me pidi que limpiara la habitacin.

4. Tanto SAY como TELL se utilizan en expresiones fijas que se

deben memorizar.
Estructuras con SAY:
SAY A NAME (no "tell a name") = decir un nombre
SAY A SENTENCE (no "tell a sentence") = decir una frase u oracin
SAY A WORD (no "tell a word") = decir una palabra

Estructuras con TELL:

TELL THE TRUTH (no "say the truth") = contar la verdad
TELL A LIE (not "say a lie") = contar una mentira
TELL THE TIME (not "say the time") = decir la hora

5. Finalmente, SAY y TELL forman parte tambin de expresiones

idiomticas:
TO HAVE YOUR SAY >> expresar tu opinin
TO HAVE A SAY IN SOMETHING >> tener voz y voto en algo
IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT >> no es necesario decir que
THAT IS TO SAY >> es decir

TO TELL THE TIME >> decir la hora

THERE'S NO TELLING >> es imposible saberlo
YOU NEVER CAN TELL >> nunca se sabe
 YOU'RE TELLING ME! >> me lo vas a decir a m!
TO TELL SOMEBODY OFF >> regaar a alguien

Lesson 6.1
Direct and Reported Speech
El estilo directo y indirecto
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Cuando queremos comunicar o informar de lo que otra persona ha

dicho, hay dos maneras de hacerlo: utilizando el estilo directo o el
estilo indirecto.

Direct Speech (El estilo directo)

Cuando queremos informar exactamente de lo que otra persona ha

dicho, utilizamos el estilo directo. Con este estilo lo que la persona ha
dicho se coloca entre comillas () y deber ser palabra por palabra.

Ejemplos:
I am going to London next week, she said. (Voy a Londres la
semana que viene, ella dijo.)
Do you have a pen I could borrow, he asked. (Tienes un
bolgrafo que puedas prestarme?, l pregunt.)
Alice said, I love to dance. (Alice dijo, Me encanta bailar.)
Chris asked, Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow
night? (Chris pregunt, Te gustara cenar conmigo maana por la
noche?)

Reported Speech (El estilo indirecto)

El estilo indirecto, a diferencia del estilo directo, no utiliza las comillas

y no necesita ser palabra por palabra. En general, cuando se usa el
estilo indirecto, el tiempo verbal cambia. A continuacin tienes un
explicacin de los cambios que sufren los tiempos verbales.
A veces se usa that en las frases afirmativas y negativas para
introducir lo que ha dicho la otra persona. Por otro lado, en las frases
interrogativas se puede usar if o whether.

Nota: Ten en cuenta tambin que las expresiones de tiempo cambian

en el estilo indirecto. Fijate en los cambios de tiempo en los ejemplos
ms abajo y despus, encontrars una tabla con ms explicaciones de
los cambios de tiempo en el estilo indirecto.

Direct Speech Reported Speech

Present Simple Past Simple

He is American, she said. She said he was American.

I am happy to see you, Mary said that she was happy

Mary said. to see me.

He asked, Are you He asked me if I was busy that

busy tonight? night.

Present Continuous Past Continuous

Dan is living in San She said Dan was living in

Francisco, she said. San Francisco.

He said, Im He told me that he was

making dinner. making dinner.

Why are you working so They asked me why I was

hard? they asked. working so hard.
Past Simple Past Perfect Simple

We went to the movies last He told me they had gone to

night, he said. the movies the night before.

Greg said, I didnt go to Greg said that he hadnt

work yesterday. gone to work the day before.

Did you buy a new car? She asked me if I had

she asked. bought a new car.

Past Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

I was working late last Vicki told me shed been

night, Vicki said. working late the night before.

They said, we werent They said that they hadnt

waiting long. been waiting long.

He asked,
He asked if Id been
were you sleeping when I
sleeping when he called.
called?

Present Perfect Simple Past Perfect Simple

Heather said, Heather told

Ive already eaten. me that shed already eaten.

We havent been to China, They said they hadnt been to

they said. China.

Have you worked here I asked her whether shed

before? I asked. worked there before.

Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous

Ive been studying English He said hed been

for two years, he said. studying English for two years.
 Steve said, weve been Steve told me that theyd
dating for over a year now. been dating for over a year.

Have you been They asked whether Id been

waiting long? they asked. waiting long.

Past Perfect Simple

Past Perfect Simple
(NO CHANGE)

Id been to Chicago before He said that hed been to

for work, he said. Chicago before for work.

Past Perfect Continuous

Past Perfect Continuous
(NO CHANGE)

She said, Id been She said shed been

dancing for years before the dancing for years before the
accident. accident.
Nota: Cuando hablamos de algo que no ha cambiado (que sigue
siendo cierto) o de algo en el futuro, no es necesario cambiar el tiempo
verbal.

Ejemplos:
Im 30 years old, she said. She said she is 30 years old.
Dave said, Kelly is sick. Dave said Kelly is sick.
We are going to Tokyo next week, they said. They said
they are going to Tokyo next week.
Ill cut my hair tomorrow, Nina said. Nina said she is cutting her
hair tomorrow.

Modal Verbs (Los verbos modales)

El tiempo verbal cambia en el estilo indirecto tambin con algunos de

los verbos modales.
Nota: Con would, could, should, might y ought to, el tiempo
no cambia.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Will Would

Ill go to the movies tomorrow, John said he would go to

John said. the movies the next day.

Will you help me move? she She asked me if I would

asked. help her move.

Can Could

Debra said, Allen can Debra said Allen could

worktomorrow. work the next day.

Can you open the window, He asked me if I could

please?, he asked. open the window.

Must Had to

You must wear your seat belt, My mom said I had to

mom said. wear my seat belt.

She said, You must She said I had to

worktomorrow. work the next day.

Shall Should

Shall we go to the beach today? Tom asked if we should

Tom asked. go to the beach that day.
 What shall we do tonight? she She asked me what
asked. we should dothat night.

May Might/Could

Jane said, I may not be in Jane said she might not

class tomorrow. be in class the next day.

The boy
May I use the bathroom,
asked if he could use the
please?, the boy asked.
bathroom.
Nota: A continuacin tienes una tabla donde puedes observar los
cambios que sufren las expresiones de tiempo cuando usamos el
estilo indirecto.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech

today that day

tonight that night

this week/month/year that week/month/year

tomorrow the next day

 the
next week/month/year
following week/month/year

the day before or the previous

yesterday
day

the week/month
last week/month/year year before or the
previous week/month/year

now then/at that moment

Otros cambios

here there

Lesson 6.2
Say vs. Tell
Decir
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En espaol podemos traducir say o tell como decir, pero en ingls

se usan estos verbos de maneras distintas. Hay unas reglas que
indican el uso de uno u otro, aunque en general usamos say para
decir algo y tell para decir algo a alguien.

Say

Se usa say en el estilo directo y el indirecto. Si queremos usar say

con un objeto personal, necesitamos usar la preposicin to.

Ejemplos:

Estilo directo
Im hungry, he said. (Tengo hambre, l dijo.)
I need your help, Glen said to Mike. (Necesito tu ayuda, Glen dijo
a Mike.)

Estilo indirecto
He said he was hungry. (l dijo que tena hambre.)
Glen said to Mike that he needed his help. (Glen dijo a Mike que
necesitaba su ayuda.)

Tell

Tambin se puede usar tell con el estilo directo y el indirecto, aunque

el uso con el estilo directo no es tan comn. Cuando usamos tell
necesitamos usar un objeto indirecto que va detrs del verbo.

Ejemplos:

Estilo directo
He told me, Im hungry. (Me dijo, Tengo hambre.)
Glen told Mike, I need your help. (Glen dijo a Mike, Necesito tu
ayuda.)
Estilo indirecto
He told me that he was hungry. (Me dijo que tena hambre.)
Glen told Mike that he needed his help. (Glen dijo a Mike que
necesitaba su ayuda.)

Otros usos de tell:

1. Se usa tell con rdenes o instrucciones.

Ejemplos:
I told him, Stop complaining. (Le dije, Deja de quejarte.)
She told us to hurry. (Nos dijo que nos diramos prisa.)

2. Usamos tell cuando damos o pedimos informacin.

Ejemplos:
Can you tell me your name please? (Dme tu nombre, por favor.)
You told him the address of the office? (Le dijiste la direccin de la
oficina?)

3. Se usa tell con cuentos o bromas. En este caso, se puede traducir

tell como contar en espaol.

Ejemplos:
He told us a great story. (Nos cont un cuento maravilloso.)
Tell me a joke, she said. (Cuntame un chiste, dijo ella.)

4. Con la verdad y las mentiras, se usa tell.

Ejemplos:
Tell me the truth, she demanded. (Dime la verdad, dijo ella.)
Keith never tells lies. (Keith nunca miente.)

5. Usamos tell con el tiempo o la fecha.

Ejemplos:
Could you tell me the time, please? she asked. (Podras decirme
la hora, por favor? me pregunt.)
Bob told me the date. (Bob me dijo la fecha.)