Difference between revisions of "Say"
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::*<span style="color:#A08;">Boris</span> didn't say <span style="color:#0A8;">anything</span> <span style="color:#80A;">to Lily</span>. | ::*<span style="color:#A08;">Boris</span> didn't say <span style="color:#0A8;">anything</span> <span style="color:#80A;">to Lily</span>. | ||
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*'''Tell''' requires a <span style="color:#A08;font-variant:small-caps;">subject (S)</span> and a <span style="color:#80A;font-variant:small-caps;">indirect object (COI) </span> (to ''whom'' it was said). '''to''' is ''not'' used to introduce the indirect object.<br> | *'''Tell''' requires a <span style="color:#A08;font-variant:small-caps;">subject (S)</span> and a <span style="color:#80A;font-variant:small-caps;">indirect object (COI) </span> (to ''whom'' it was said). '''to''' is ''not'' used to introduce the indirect object.<br> | ||
Revision as of 21:36, 21 April 2020
Contents
[hide]Pronunciation
present tense: say: /seɪ/, rhymes with the letter A, & the words way, and weigh
- says: /sez/, rhymes with fez
past tense & past participle: said, /sed/, rhymes with bed
Semantics
The fourth most common verb in English (after the auxiliaries be, have, & do), it means speak or assert. (dire in French).
Syntax
say or tell ?
- Say requires a subject (S) and a direct object (COD), i.e. what is said. (ce qui est dit, ou ce qu'on dit)
- Boris didn't say anything.
- An optional indirect object (COI) (to whom it was said) is introduced with the operator/preposition "to".
- Boris didn't say anything to Lily.
- Tell requires a subject (S) and a indirect object (COI) (to whom it was said). to is not used to introduce the indirect object.
- Boris didn't tell her.
- The optional direct object (COD) can be either a noun phrase (the answer, the truth, a lie, a story, ...) or an infinitival (to wait, to call back later... etc.)
- Boris didn't tell her anything.
- Boris didn't tell her to do anything.
