This document discusses the differences between the verbs "say", "tell", "speak", and "talk" in English. It provides examples of how each verb is used in direct and indirect speech. "Say" is usually used without a personal object, while "tell" is used to inform someone and can be used to tell someone to do something. "Talk" refers to informal conversational exchanges, while "speak" is used for more formal or serious exchanges and referring to language ability. Knowing the proper uses of these verbs can help prevent errors when learning English.

1. OSMILDE GASPAR
Behind the words: Speak, talk, say and tell
Ig,,,uais, mas diferentes...
O aprendizado de uma língua estrangeira consiste não apenas na assimilação de
seus elementos gramaticais e lexicais, mas também em saber empregar o
conhecimento adquirido sem a interferência negativa da língua mãe. Sendo esta
interferência mais alarmante no oral, podemos também incluir a ocorrência no
plano gramatical, levando os aprendizes de um idioma a produzirem frases
desestruturadas e incompreensíveis. Na ânsia de se comunicarem e expressarem
suas idéias, os alunos muitas vezes associam a estrutura usada no português à
língua inglesa, criando assim uma grande confusão e uso inadequado de algumas
palavras e expressões.
Assim, se faz necessário identificar e conhecer as diferenças entre a língua
portuguesa e inglesa para que possamos prever os erros bem como evitá-los antes
de se tornarem hábitos. Vale ressaltar, que muitos destes erros podem ser
observados mesmo em alunos que já possuem um nível elevado de fluência, e
resultam da falta de contacto com a língua ou de um aprendizado defasado.
Os verbos Speak, Talk, Say e Tell, embora praticamente sinónimos no
significado e gramaticalmente diferentes, geram inúmeras dúvidas para os alunos,
e é preciso se atentar a algumas regras para evitar alguns deslizes na
comunicação. Para entender melhor as diferenças, segue abaixo uma classificação
por área de significado e alguns exemplos para reforçar a explicação:
SIGNIFICADO PORTUGUÊS INGLÊS EXEMPLOS
Ter habilidade
linguística
Falar speak He speaks English and
French.
Transmitir
informação
Dizer, falar, contar,
afirmar, relatar,
avisar
say, tell,
state,
report
He said that he`s not going
to run for president.
He told the reporters he`s
not going to run for
president.
He stated clearly that he`s
not going to run for
president.
The government
has reported a decline in
the foreign debt.
Conversar, bater
papo
Falar, conversar,
dialogar
speak,
talk, chat
I spoke with my friends
yesterday about the old
times.
We talked all night about
the old times.
He likes to chat with his old
friends.
Uses Examples
Say used with direct and indirect She said that it was my last

2. OSMILDE GASPAR
speech
Say is most often used without a
personal object.
If we want to put a personal
object after say, we use to.
chance.
He said, ‘Good morning.’
She said that she would be late.
(not She said me...)
And I say to all the people of
this great country...
Tell used with direct and indirect
speech
after tell, we usually say who is
told, i.e., tell someone
something
only used to mean ‘instruct’ or
‘inform’
Tell is used to tell someone to
do something
Tell is not used before objects
like a word, a name, a sentence,
a phrase.
We do not usually use it after tell
to refer to a fact.
tell someone again (repeat)
She told me that she would be
late.
She told me that it was my last
chance.
(not He told them, ‘Good
morning.’)
Tom’s mother told him to clean
his room.
Alice said a naughty word...
(not Alice told a naughty
word...)
‘I’ll tell you tomorrow.’ (not I’ll
tell you it tomorrow.)
‘I don’t want
to tell you again to get your
homework done.’
Talk There is not very much
difference between speak and
talk.
Talk is the more usual word to
refer to conversational
exchanges and informal
communication.
When she walked into the room
everybody stopped talking.
Speak Is often used for one-way
communication and for
exchanges in more serious or
formal situations.
Speak is the usual word to refer
to knowledge and use of
languages.
I’ll have to speak to that boy --
he’s getting very lazy.
After she had finished reading
the letter, nobody spoke.
She speaks three languages
fluently.
By: Osmilde Gaspar