differences between tell and say

[marciobarbalho]

Hello guys,

I'd like to know if these following setences are fine.

In an informal or colloquial talking:

1) Jonh told me he is very upset.
2) John said he is upset to me.
3) Mary said to me that John is not upset, he's a nerve.
4) Mary told he (john) is not that intelligent as he's said.

I mean, can I say:

A told B there's a hole in the wall
A told there's a hole in the wall.
A said there's a hole in the wall.
A said to me there's a hole in the wall.
A said there's a hole in the wall.

Thanks in advance

[riverkid]

Originally Posted by marciobarbalho

Hello guys,

I'd like to know if these following setences are fine.

In an informal or colloquial [talking] manner:

In [an] informal or colloquial [talking] speech:

1) John told me he is very upset.
2) John said he is upset [to] with me.
3) Mary said to me that John is not upset, he's a nerve.

I don't know the meaning of 'nerve' here, Marcio.

4) Mary told [he] him that [need subject](john) is not [that] as intelligent as he['s] said. OR as he's said to be.

I mean, can I say:

A told B there's a hole in the wall
A [told] said there's a hole in the wall.
A said there's a hole in the wall.
A said to me there's a hole in the wall.
A said there's a hole in the wall.

Thanks in advance

#

[marciobarbalho]

Ok, riverkid, I got it. Many thanks.

Well, I guess, i am not sure, still studying, that the sentence or idiom "He's a nerve" means, in this case, that he lies about his feelings:

Mary said to me that John is not upset, he's a nerve

Mary meant he's pretending to be upset in order to win something. Actually I guess it's fine, it depends on the context, right?

Thanks

[riverkid]

Originally Posted by marciobarbalho

Ok, riverkid, I got it. Many thanks.

Well, I guess, i am not sure, still studying, that the sentence or idiom "He's a nerve" means, in this case, that he lies about him feelings:

Mary said to me that John is not upset, he's a nerve

Mary meant he's pretending to be upset in order to win something. Actually I guess it's fine, it depends on the context, right?

Thanks

It could be fine, Marcio. It might just be that I've never heard that usage. Being an older guy and having been abroad for many years, I've found that I'm not up on current slang terms.

Here's how tell and say work for this meaning.

Tell somebody something

Say something to somebody

[vil]

Attention: I’m not a teacher.

Hi Marciobarnalho,

I will try and find some way helping you to understand the meaning of the idiom in question above.

….,he has a nerve.

have a nerve = also, have some nerve. Have audacity, show effrontery. For example, You have a nerve telling me what to do, or She had some nerve, criticizing the people who donated their time. The related have the nerve is used with an infinitive, as in He had the nerve to scold his boss in public. This idiom uses nerve in the sense of "courage" or "audacity."

Regards.

V.

[marciobarbalho]

Well, it can be like that. I am not sure, but I think it was a native speaker who told me that "He's a nerve" means "He is never not ashamed of himself, he says what he wants to anyone".
He's a nerver hunter = he hunts what he wants no matter what they tell him about rules.

Please, could someone correct these idioms for us?

Many thanks.

[Monic]

Originally Posted by marciobarbalho

Hello guys,

I'd like to know if these following setences are fine.

In an informal or colloquial talking:

1) Jonh told me he is very upset.
2) John said he is upset to me. If we refer to grammar, they are correct. But 1) and 2) express different things the way they´re written. If you want to express the same, eliminate "to me" in the second sentence. And in sentece 3) "to me" is also unnecessary.
3) Mary said to me that John is not upset, he's a nerve.
4) Mary told he (john) is not that intelligent as he's said. Mary told HIM, he´s not AS intelligent AS he said he is. (Honey: I just used capital letters to drive your attention to some important points: Before the verb, we use a subject, after, we use an object. You can use inequality or comparatives to express the same, however, you cannot mix them in the same sentence).

I mean, can I say:

A told B there's a hole in the wall
A told there's a hole in the wall. For the reporting verb "told", you need a reciever (an object) A told B there´s...
A said there's a hole in the wall.
A said to me there's a hole in the wall.
A said there's a hole in the wall.
I hope this will be helpfull. Good luck!
Thanks in advance

If it´s not clear, don´t get desperate, There are many People (including me) that will try to help you until you get it.

[vil]

Hi marciobarbalho,

There is no difference in our standpoints.

(mine) This idiom uses nerve in the sense of "courage" or "audacity."

(yours) He's a nerve" means "He is never not ashamed of himself, he says what he wants to anyone".

There are further explanatory words:

audacity = · fearless daring; intrepidity.
· bold or insolent heedlessness of restraints, as of those imposed by prudence, propriety, or convention.
· an act or instance of intrepidity or insolent heedlessness: warned the students than any audacities committed during the graduation ceremony would be punished

audacity = adventurousness, boldness, brass neck, bravery, brazenness, check, chutzpah, courage, daring, defiance, disrespectfulness, enterprise, fearlessness, forwardness, gall, guts, impertinence, impudence, insolence, intrepidity, nerve, presumption, rashness, recklessness, rudeness.

Regards.

V.