Handout: How to Use “Say,” “Tell,” “Speak,” and “Talk”

1. Say: - “Say” is used to report someone’s words or to express something in words. - It is followed by a direct quotation or an indirect statement. - Example: She said, “I love this song.”

2. Tell: - “Tell” is used to communicate information or give instructions to someone. - It is followed by a person or pronoun and can be followed by a direct or indirect object. - Example: He told me to be careful.

3. Speak: - “Speak” is used to refer to the act of expressing thoughts or opinions verbally. - It is followed by a language, a person, or a group of people. - Example: She speaks English fluently.

4. Talk: - “Talk” is used to refer to a conversation or discussion between two or more people. - It is followed by about, to, or with, indicating the topic or the person(s) involved. - Example: They talked about their vacation plans.

Gap Fill Exercise: Complete the following sentences with the appropriate form of “say,” “tell,” “speak,” or “talk.”

1. She ____ that she will arrive late.
2. Can you ____ me the time, please?
3. He ____ three languages fluently.
4. Let’s ____ about our future goals.
5. They ____ each other every day.
6. The teacher ____ the students to study for the exam.
7. I can’t ____ for everyone, but I think it’s a good idea.
8. She ____ to her best friend about her problems.
9. He ____ that he doesn’t like spicy food.

10. They ____ in a foreign language during their trip.

11. Please ____ me what happened.
12. He ____ his sister to clean her room.
13. Let’s ____ in English to practice.
14. They ____ about their favorite books.
15. She ____ that she will be late for the meeting.
16. The boss ____ to the employees about the new project.
17. I ____ you to be careful while crossing the road.
18. He ____ to the audience about his research findings.
19. They ____ about their favorite TV shows.

20. She ____ that she is excited about the upcoming event.

21. Can you ____ me the way to the nearest supermarket?
22. He ____ Spanish with a native speaker.
23. Let’s ____ about our plans for the weekend.
24. They ____ each other jokes all the time.
25. The teacher ____ the students to work in pairs.
26. I can’t ____ for sure, but I think it will rain.
27. She ____ to her parents about her future career.
28. He ____ that he wants to travel the world.
29. They ____ in a foreign language during their class.

30. Please ____ me if you need any help.

31. She ____ that she loves chocolate.
32. He ____ his brother to turn off the lights.
33. Let’s ____ in French to practice.
34. They ____ about their favorite hobbies.
35. She ____ that she will call later.
36. The manager ____ to the employees about the new policies.
37. I ____ you to be honest with me.
38. He ____ to the audience about his life experiences.
39. They ____ about their favorite movies.

40. She ____ that she is tired and needs rest.

41. Can you ____ me the truth?
42. He ____ English with confidence.
43. Let’s ____ about our dreams and aspirations.
44. They ____ each other’s secrets.
45. The teacher ____ the students to complete the assignment.
46. I can’t ____ exactly when it happened.
47. She ____ to her friends about her recent trip.
48. He ____ that he wants to learn how to play the guitar.
49. They ____ in sign language during their performance.
50. Please ____ me if you have any questions.

Note: The correct answers for the gap fill exercise are as follows: 1. said 2. tell 3. speaks 4. talk 5. talk 6. told 7. speak 8. talked 9. said 10. spoke 11. tell 12. told 13. speak 14. talked 15. said 16. spoke 17. tell 18. spoke 19. talked 20. said 21. tell 22. speaks 23. talk 24. tell 25. told 26. say 27. spoke 28. said 29. spoke 30. tell 31. said 32. told 33. speak 34. talked 35. said 36. spoke 37. tell 38. spoke 39. talked 40. said 41. tell 42. speaks 43. talk 44. tell 45. told 46. say 47. talked 48. said 49. spoke 50. tell