Say or Tell? The Listener Trick

Your best friend just got engaged! You rush home and say, I said him the news! Hmm... something sounds wrong, doesn't it? Here's the trick. Tell needs a listener. Say doesn't. With tell, you name the person straight away. Tell me. Tell her. Tell your boss. With say, the words come first. She said hello. He said it was late. Want to add a person? Use to. He said sorry to me. Wait, what about tell a story? Good catch! A few fixed phrases break the rule. Tell a story, tell the truth, tell a lie, tell a joke. So when you're stuck, look for the listener. Is a person right after the verb? Then tell. No person? Then say. Go on, tell someone what you just learned!