I hope you’ve read my blog about how to use say and tell correctly, forever.
If not, go and read that first here:
If you HAVE already read it, then you might want to try the following exercises.
There is an answer key at the bottom of this blog entry.
Now, here are four exercises
TEST 1
CORRECT OR INCORRECT
Choose if the following sentences are correct or incorrect.
If they are incorrect, write the correct sentence in the space provided.
CORRECT? INCORRECT?
1. The main said his name was Bartholomew.
__________________________________________________________
2. She told to him Happy Birthday.
__________________________________________________________
3. She said me Hello when she saw me this morning.
__________________________________________________________
4. She told nobody and was very discreet about everything.
__________________________________________________________
5. Can I tell you what he said?
__________________________________________________________
6. She shouldn’t have told anything.
__________________________________________________________
7. Do you know how to say the time? __________________________________________________________
8. I am sick of you telling lies to me.
__________________________________________________________
9. Did she say anything to anyone?
__________________________________________________________
10. Can’t you see that I’m not going to say anything?
__________________________________________________________
11. She said me Goodbye and then she left.
__________________________________________________________
12. Who can tell the future? I know I can’t. __________________________________________________________
TEST 2
TELL ME THE EXCEPTIONS!
The verb to tell is usually immediately followed by a person.
But there are some exceptions. Can you say / or write five examples here?
1 __________________________________________________________
2 __________________________________________________________
3 __________________________________________________________
4 __________________________________________________________
5 __________________________________________________________
TEST 3
SAID OR TOLD?
In the following sentences, write the correct participle: said or told
1. She never _____________ me her name.
2. She never _____________ her name.
3. Who _______________ him to do this?
4. I think I ______________ that I didn’t want a fuss for my birthday.
5. He ____________ a joke that everybody thought was very inappropriate.
6. She ___________ everybody what happened, even my grandparents.
7. She never _________ that her parents were Indian.
8. We _______ Happy New Year and then we left.
9. I couldn’t have _______________ that because I wasn’t there.
10. Whoever _______________ him that, obviously didn’t have all the facts.
11. We weren’t ______________.
12. The woman who appeared at the police station reception desk ______ a terrible tale.
13. Have you ever _________ the time in another language?
14. She __________ very little.
15. She never _____________. How was I supposed to know?
TEST 4
ASK THE CORRECT QUESTION
This test contains the answers to some hypothetical questions.
Write or type the questions in the spaces provided below. The words in bold
provide information about the key information in the answer.
1. She said she was late because she missed her train.
__________________________________________________________
2. He told me that he was lonely.
__________________________________________________________
3. She told him that the car had cost €75,000.
__________________________________________________________
4. He was stunned when she told him that she was leaving him.
__________________________________________________________
5. I couldn’t tell her the truth because it would have broken her heart.
__________________________________________________________
6. Neither of the two thieves told you the truth.
__________________________________________________________
7. My sister said she was sorry.
__________________________________________________________
8. She said she was sorry because she had shouted at me earlier in the day.
__________________________________________________________
9. She told me she was leaving in the kitchen.
__________________________________________________________
10. I said that I didn’t care when my partner told me he didn’t like my cooking.
__________________________________________________________
ANSWER KEY
TEST 1
1. The main said his name was Bartholomew. Correct
2. She told to him Happy Birthday. Incorrect
Correct Answer: She said Happy Birthday to him.
3. She said me Hello when she saw me this morning. Incorrect
Correct Answer: She said Hello (to me) when she saw me this morning.
4. She told nobody and was very discreet about everything. Correct
5. Can I tell you what he said? Correct
6. She shouldn’t have told anything. Incorrect
Correct Answer:She should have said anything.
7. Do you know how to say the time? Incorrect Correct Answer: Do you know how to tell the time?
8. I am sick of you telling lies to me. Incorrect
Correct Answer: I am sick of you telling me lies.
9. Did she say anything to anyone? Correct
10. Can’t you see that I’m not going to say anything? Correct
11. She said me Goodbye and then she left. Incorrect
Correct Answer: She said Goodbye to me and then she left.
12. Who can tell the future? I know I can’t. Correct
TEST 2
To tell a lie
To tell the truth
To tell the time
To tell a story
To tell a joke
To tell the future
To tell the time
TEST 3
1. She never told me her name.
2. She never said her name.
3. Who told him to do this?
4. I think I said that I didn’t want a fuss for my birthday.
5. He told a joke that everybody thought was very inappropriate.
6. She told everybody what happened, even my grandparents.
7. She never said that her parents were Indian.
8. We said Happy New Year and then we left.
9. I couldn’t have said that because I wasn’t there.
10. Whoever told him that, obviously didn’t have all the facts.
11. We weren’t told .
12. The woman who appeared at the police station reception desk told a terrible tale.
13. Have you ever told the time in another language?
14. She said very little.
15. She never said. How was I supposed to know?
TEST 4
1. Why did she say she was late?
2. What did he tell you?
3. How much did she tell him the car had cost?
4. How did he react/How did he feel when she told him that she was leaving him?
5. Why couldn’t you tell her the truth?
6. Which of the two thieves told you the truth?
7. Who said she was sorry?
8. Why did she say she was sorry?
9. Where did she tell you that she was leaving?
10. What did you say when your partner told you he didn’t like your cooking?
How did you do? Do you know more than you thought? I hope so!
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Thank you for reading and have a great day!
x
Justin
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