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 Feb 18 at 12:39
Stewart Gilligan GriffinStewart Gilligan Griffin
1668
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 Feb 18 at 12:39
Stewart Gilligan GriffinStewart Gilligan Griffin
1668
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 Feb 18 at 12:39
Stewart Gilligan GriffinStewart Gilligan Griffin
1668
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 Feb 18 at 12:39
Stewart Gilligan GriffinStewart Gilligan Griffin
1668
asked Feb 18 at 12:39
Stewart Gilligan GriffinStewart Gilligan Griffin
1668
edited Feb 19 at 6:02
Stewart Gilligan Griffin
asked Feb 18 at 12:39
Stewart Gilligan GriffinStewart Gilligan Griffin
1668
asked Feb 18 at 12:39
Stewart Gilligan GriffinStewart Gilligan Griffin
1668
asked Feb 18 at 12:39
Stewart Gilligan GriffinStewart Gilligan Griffin
1668
1668
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 Feb 18 at 13:59
Jeff MorrowJeff Morrow
11.2k1126
and in my given sentence buying milk is an order. So it's better to use told here. Right?
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
Feb 18 at 14:15
Nobody says "Buy Milk" with a capital B and a capital M.
– Michael Harvey
Feb 18 at 15:44
I did that to put more emphasis 😅
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
Feb 18 at 16:41
@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
Feb 18 at 16:43
OK, I'll let you have the B, but not the M.
– Michael Harvey
Feb 18 at 17:24
|
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 Feb 18 at 13:59
Jeff MorrowJeff Morrow
11.2k1126
and in my given sentence buying milk is an order. So it's better to use told here. Right?
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
Feb 18 at 14:15
Nobody says "Buy Milk" with a capital B and a capital M.
– Michael Harvey
Feb 18 at 15:44
I did that to put more emphasis 😅
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
Feb 18 at 16:41
@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
Feb 18 at 16:43
OK, I'll let you have the B, but not the M.
– Michael Harvey
Feb 18 at 17:24
|
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 Feb 18 at 13:59
Jeff MorrowJeff Morrow
11.2k1126
and in my given sentence buying milk is an order. So it's better to use told here. Right?
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
Feb 18 at 14:15
Nobody says "Buy Milk" with a capital B and a capital M.
– Michael Harvey
Feb 18 at 15:44
I did that to put more emphasis 😅
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
Feb 18 at 16:41
@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
Feb 18 at 16:43
OK, I'll let you have the B, but not the M.
– Michael Harvey
Feb 18 at 17:24
|
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 Feb 18 at 13:59
Jeff MorrowJeff Morrow
11.2k1126
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 Feb 18 at 13:59
Jeff MorrowJeff Morrow
11.2k1126
answered Feb 18 at 13:59
Jeff MorrowJeff Morrow
11.2k1126
answered Feb 18 at 13:59
Jeff MorrowJeff Morrow
11.2k1126
answered Feb 18 at 13:59
Jeff MorrowJeff Morrow
11.2k1126
11.2k1126
and in my given sentence buying milk is an order. So it's better to use told here. Right?
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
Feb 18 at 14:15
Nobody says "Buy Milk" with a capital B and a capital M.
– Michael Harvey
Feb 18 at 15:44
I did that to put more emphasis 😅
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
Feb 18 at 16:41
@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
Feb 18 at 16:43
OK, I'll let you have the B, but not the M.
– Michael Harvey
Feb 18 at 17:24
|
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
Feb 18 at 14:15
Nobody says "Buy Milk" with a capital B and a capital M.
– Michael Harvey
Feb 18 at 15:44
I did that to put more emphasis 😅
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
Feb 18 at 16:41
@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
Feb 18 at 16:43
OK, I'll let you have the B, but not the M.
– Michael Harvey
Feb 18 at 17:24
and in my given sentence buying milk is an order. So it's better to use told here. Right?
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
Feb 18 at 14:15
and in my given sentence buying milk is an order. So it's better to use told here. Right?
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
Feb 18 at 14:15
Nobody says "Buy Milk" with a capital B and a capital M.
– Michael Harvey
Feb 18 at 15:44
Nobody says "Buy Milk" with a capital B and a capital M.
– Michael Harvey
Feb 18 at 15:44
I did that to put more emphasis 😅
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
Feb 18 at 16:41
I did that to put more emphasis 😅
– Stewart Gilligan Griffin
Feb 18 at 16:41
@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
Feb 18 at 16:43
@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
Feb 18 at 16:43
OK, I'll let you have the B, but not the M.
– Michael Harvey
Feb 18 at 17:24
OK, I'll let you have the B, but not the M.
– Michael Harvey
Feb 18 at 17:24
|
show 1 more comment
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