Nuance between said to him/told him
Imperative: She said to him "Buy milk"
Infinitive: She told him to buy milk.
Couldn't it have been,
She said to him to buy milk
Although said to him doesn't sound ungrammatical, it doesn't sound natural either.
But why?
Why don't I get that strong feeling of command in said to him like I would in direct imperative speech i.e, "Buy Milk"
grammar imperative-sentences direct-speech
asked 18 hours ago
Stewart Gilligan GriffinStewart Gilligan Griffin
928
add a comment |
Imperative: She said to him "Buy milk"
Infinitive: She told him to buy milk.
Couldn't it have been,
She said to him to buy milk
Although said to him doesn't sound ungrammatical, it doesn't sound natural either.
But why?
Why don't I get that strong feeling of command in said to him like I would in direct imperative speech i.e, "Buy Milk"
grammar imperative-sentences direct-speech
asked 18 hours ago
Stewart Gilligan GriffinStewart Gilligan Griffin
928
add a comment |
Imperative: She said to him "Buy milk"
Infinitive: She told him to buy milk.
Couldn't it have been,
She said to him to buy milk
Although said to him doesn't sound ungrammatical, it doesn't sound natural either.
But why?
Why don't I get that strong feeling of command in said to him like I would in direct imperative speech i.e, "Buy Milk"
grammar imperative-sentences direct-speech
asked 18 hours ago
Stewart Gilligan GriffinStewart Gilligan Griffin
928
Imperative: She said to him "Buy milk"
Infinitive: She told him to buy milk.
Couldn't it have been,
She said to him to buy milk
Although said to him doesn't sound ungrammatical, it doesn't sound natural either.
But why?
Why don't I get that strong feeling of command in said to him like I would in direct imperative speech i.e, "Buy Milk"
grammar imperative-sentences direct-speech
grammar imperative-sentences direct-speech
asked 18 hours ago
Stewart Gilligan GriffinStewart Gilligan Griffin
928
asked 18 hours ago
Stewart Gilligan GriffinStewart Gilligan Griffin
928
edited 44 mins ago
Stewart Gilligan Griffin
asked 18 hours ago
Stewart Gilligan GriffinStewart Gilligan Griffin
928
asked 18 hours ago
Stewart Gilligan GriffinStewart Gilligan Griffin
928
asked 18 hours ago
Stewart Gilligan GriffinStewart Gilligan Griffin
928
928
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
Although the broad fields of meaning of "say" and "tell partly overlap, they do not completely overlap. The way in which they overlap is in the sense of communicating.
He told her that the car would be expensive to repair
and
He said to her that the car would be expensive to repair
normally mean exactly the same thing.
However, one sense of "tell" is "order." The verb "say" does not in itself have the connotation of "order" (although context may supply that connotation). However, "tell" does not necessarily mean "order."
To sum up, "tell" is sometimes, but not always, a synonym for "order whereas "say" is not.
answered 16 hours ago
Jeff MorrowJeff Morrow
11k1126
and in my given sentence buying milk is an order. So it's better to use told here. Right?
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
16 hours ago
Nobody says "Buy Milk" with a capital B and a capital M.
– Michael Harvey
15 hours ago
I did that to put more emphasis 😅
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
14 hours ago
@michaelharvey. But B has to be capital. First word of the quote has to be capitalized when you are quoting the whole text.
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
14 hours ago
OK, I'll let you have the B, but not the M.
– Michael Harvey
13 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
Your Answer
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1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
Although the broad fields of meaning of "say" and "tell partly overlap, they do not completely overlap. The way in which they overlap is in the sense of communicating.
He told her that the car would be expensive to repair
and
He said to her that the car would be expensive to repair
normally mean exactly the same thing.
However, one sense of "tell" is "order." The verb "say" does not in itself have the connotation of "order" (although context may supply that connotation). However, "tell" does not necessarily mean "order."
To sum up, "tell" is sometimes, but not always, a synonym for "order whereas "say" is not.
answered 16 hours ago
Jeff MorrowJeff Morrow
11k1126
and in my given sentence buying milk is an order. So it's better to use told here. Right?
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
16 hours ago
Nobody says "Buy Milk" with a capital B and a capital M.
– Michael Harvey
15 hours ago
I did that to put more emphasis 😅
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
14 hours ago
@michaelharvey. But B has to be capital. First word of the quote has to be capitalized when you are quoting the whole text.
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
14 hours ago
OK, I'll let you have the B, but not the M.
– Michael Harvey
13 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
Although the broad fields of meaning of "say" and "tell partly overlap, they do not completely overlap. The way in which they overlap is in the sense of communicating.
He told her that the car would be expensive to repair
and
He said to her that the car would be expensive to repair
normally mean exactly the same thing.
However, one sense of "tell" is "order." The verb "say" does not in itself have the connotation of "order" (although context may supply that connotation). However, "tell" does not necessarily mean "order."
To sum up, "tell" is sometimes, but not always, a synonym for "order whereas "say" is not.
answered 16 hours ago
Jeff MorrowJeff Morrow
11k1126
and in my given sentence buying milk is an order. So it's better to use told here. Right?
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
16 hours ago
Nobody says "Buy Milk" with a capital B and a capital M.
– Michael Harvey
15 hours ago
I did that to put more emphasis 😅
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
14 hours ago
@michaelharvey. But B has to be capital. First word of the quote has to be capitalized when you are quoting the whole text.
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
14 hours ago
OK, I'll let you have the B, but not the M.
– Michael Harvey
13 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
Although the broad fields of meaning of "say" and "tell partly overlap, they do not completely overlap. The way in which they overlap is in the sense of communicating.
He told her that the car would be expensive to repair
and
He said to her that the car would be expensive to repair
normally mean exactly the same thing.
However, one sense of "tell" is "order." The verb "say" does not in itself have the connotation of "order" (although context may supply that connotation). However, "tell" does not necessarily mean "order."
To sum up, "tell" is sometimes, but not always, a synonym for "order whereas "say" is not.
answered 16 hours ago
Jeff MorrowJeff Morrow
11k1126
Although the broad fields of meaning of "say" and "tell partly overlap, they do not completely overlap. The way in which they overlap is in the sense of communicating.
He told her that the car would be expensive to repair
and
He said to her that the car would be expensive to repair
normally mean exactly the same thing.
However, one sense of "tell" is "order." The verb "say" does not in itself have the connotation of "order" (although context may supply that connotation). However, "tell" does not necessarily mean "order."
To sum up, "tell" is sometimes, but not always, a synonym for "order whereas "say" is not.
answered 16 hours ago
Jeff MorrowJeff Morrow
11k1126
answered 16 hours ago
Jeff MorrowJeff Morrow
11k1126
answered 16 hours ago
Jeff MorrowJeff Morrow
11k1126
answered 16 hours ago
Jeff MorrowJeff Morrow
11k1126
11k1126
and in my given sentence buying milk is an order. So it's better to use told here. Right?
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
16 hours ago
Nobody says "Buy Milk" with a capital B and a capital M.
– Michael Harvey
15 hours ago
I did that to put more emphasis 😅
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
14 hours ago
@michaelharvey. But B has to be capital. First word of the quote has to be capitalized when you are quoting the whole text.
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
14 hours ago
OK, I'll let you have the B, but not the M.
– Michael Harvey
13 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
and in my given sentence buying milk is an order. So it's better to use told here. Right?
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
16 hours ago
Nobody says "Buy Milk" with a capital B and a capital M.
– Michael Harvey
15 hours ago
I did that to put more emphasis 😅
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
14 hours ago
@michaelharvey. But B has to be capital. First word of the quote has to be capitalized when you are quoting the whole text.
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
14 hours ago
OK, I'll let you have the B, but not the M.
– Michael Harvey
13 hours ago
and in my given sentence buying milk is an order. So it's better to use told here. Right?
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
16 hours ago
and in my given sentence buying milk is an order. So it's better to use told here. Right?
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
16 hours ago
Nobody says "Buy Milk" with a capital B and a capital M.
– Michael Harvey
15 hours ago
Nobody says "Buy Milk" with a capital B and a capital M.
– Michael Harvey
15 hours ago
I did that to put more emphasis 😅
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
14 hours ago
I did that to put more emphasis 😅
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
14 hours ago
@michaelharvey. But B has to be capital. First word of the quote has to be capitalized when you are quoting the whole text.
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
14 hours ago
@michaelharvey. But B has to be capital. First word of the quote has to be capitalized when you are quoting the whole text.
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
14 hours ago
OK, I'll let you have the B, but not the M.
– Michael Harvey
13 hours ago
OK, I'll let you have the B, but not the M.
– Michael Harvey
13 hours ago
|
show 1 more comment
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