Say + to + addressed person structure is possible when this phrase comes after the statement.
-
“I have just heard it”, Tom said to me.
Inversion is not possible.
Tell with direct speech. Tell requires the addressed person.
-
Tell me.
-
He told us.
-
I will tell him.
Exception for above rule: tell the truth, tell a lie, and tell a story.
-
He told the truth.
-
She tells lies.
-
They tell a story.
If tell is used with direct speech, it must always be placed after the statement.
-
“I am leaving at once”, Tom told me.
Inversion is not possible with tell.
Say and tell with indirect speech. Say and tell + object are usually used to introduce indirect statement. Say + to + object is also possible but tell + object is much more usual.
-
Tom told me he had just heard it.
-
He said he had just heard it.
-
He said to me that he had just heard it.
With say and tell + object we can omit that.
-
Tom told me
that
he had heard it.
-
He said
that
he had just heard it.
With say + to + object we can not omit the conjunction that.
The following words can be used with direct or indirect speech:
