Usage of "say" and "tell"

[Sangeetha]

English Language Proficiency Tests, Advanced Level

ESL/EFL Test #13 "Time Expressions (1)", question 10

Time will ......... whether we have made the right decision.

(a) say
(b) know
(c) tell
(d) find

English Language Proficiency Tests, Advanced Level

ESL/EFL Test #13 "Time Expressions (1)", answer 10

Time will tell whether we have made the right decision.

Correct answer: (c) tell

Your answer was: correct
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Differentiate the usage of 'say' and 'tell' in the above context .
Any general rule for using say n tell ?

Sangeetha

[Alan]

Hi Sangeetha,

The difference basically is that tell usually takes an object and say doesn't. In the sentence in the test what is meant is that time will tell us (understood) whether we have made ...

In meaning say has the idea of making a statement and tell has the idea of informing. There are of course a number of idiomatic uses for both verbs.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
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