It can sometimes be hard to chose which one is right for what you want to say. Hopefully this short article will give you some tips on how to decide.

In general, it’s possible to make some distinctions between “say” and “tell” which can help you chose the correct one.

“Say” is a word used simply to indicate direct speech. “I am happy” said John”.

“Tell”, on the other hands, is often used when there is some information being passed on or exchanged. “I told John about the party”. In this case the information about the party is being shared.

This method of deciding is only very general, and won’t help you every time, but it can be useful to consider the differences between “say” and “tell”.

The most useful tip that can help you decide is to look at what words usually follow “tell” in sentences.

“I told her”.

“I will tell them”.

“I should have told him earlier”.

“They told me today”.

Do you notice anything? “Tell” (and its past form “told”) are always followed by a direct personal object (me, them, us, him, her etc). “Say”, on the other hand, is never followed by a direct person object. You cannot say “I said her”, it is a mistake.

So, to help you decide which one to use, think about whether you want to use a direct personal pronoun (him, us, them, her) and if you do then you must use “tell”, if you don’t, then it’s possible you can use “say”.

One thing that can really help your English sound better is to use other verbs (called “reporting verbs”) instead of the standard “say” and “tell”. It’s possible to use words which are much more interesting and colourful. This link can introduce you to some of the common ones: http://esl.about.com/library/grammar/blgr_reportingverbs.htm

Good Luck!

Today we are going to look at a pair of words that are often mixed up. They are problematic because of how the pronunciation of the words influences how people write them.

The words are: loose and lose.

“Loose” is, ordinarily, an adjective that has various meanings. It can mean the opposite of “tight”, as in: “your clothes are very loose, have you lost weight?”. It can also mean “free”, as in “not fixed” and can be used to describe fruit in a supermarket that isn’t in a box or plastic packaging. “You can buy loose lemons for about £2 per kg”.

The pronunciation of “loose” has no “z” sound, and in is pronounced /lus/. Using the small speaker icon beside the world at http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/loose will allow you to hear it pronounced by a North American speaker.

It’s important to note that “loose” can also be a verb, but this usage is more often seen in books or literature. It means “to set free” and can be used, for example, as follows: “The dogs have been loosed!”. The adjective form of “loose” is the one you are more likely to hear and see in everyday life.

“Lose”, on the other hand, is a verb which is the opposite of “win”. For example: “I really hope your football team lose today”. The pronunciation of “lose” does contain a “z” sound, unlike “loose” and is pronounced /luz/. You can hear it here by clicking on the small speaker icon: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lose

It is quite possible the words are mixed up because the pronunciation of “lose” (/luz/) seems to sound like it would be written “loose”. Unfortunately it isn’t and it’s important to distinguish between the two words in pronunciation, spelling and meaning.

Remember: “Loose” – adjective – “not tight”, “free” - /lus/. “Loose” – verb – the opposite of “win” - /luz/.

Words from this text that are good to remember:

Hints and Tips (both plural nouns) – Helpful suggestions and information about a particular topic (in our case English and the hints and tips are how to use “lose” and “loose” correctly).

To mix up (phrasal verb) – to confuse one thing for another. (In our case to think “loose” is the written form of the verb “lose”).

Various (adjective) – more than one and usually different. (In our case “loose” has various meanings and they are different, although the adjective form is the most important).

To seem (verb) – to look like something is true. (In our case it looks like the problem people have with “lose” and “loose” comes from the pronunciation).

Remember to write these words down in a small notebook for new vocabulary and try to read it for at least ten minutes every day!

Check back soon for more useful hints and tips!

This week was the start of a new stage, as all LdV students began their new Work Placements. Many of the students will be assisting at Marie Curie Cancer Care assisting with administration, while others will be working for tandem digital or here with us at inlingua Edninburgh. Anna, who will be working with us will soon be starting a blog of her time here, and it will be interesting to get an insight into a student's perspective. check back here soon for her first post!

This week is also the first week of our Evening English Classes. Our Ldv students will be attending twice a week, along with others who wish to study General English or prepare for IELTS, CAE, CPE or FCE exams. There are still some places on various courses so please get in contact for more details.

See you soon!

If like us you agree with the post above, then you might be interested in attending one of our evening foreign language classes. Aside from the practical benefits of learning a foreign language, the cultural benefits cannot be ignored. The ability to communicate with someone in their mother tongue gives us a unique and new perspective of a culture, place and people.

We teach up to 21 foreign languages from beginner through to advanced level. All of our teachers are native speakers, and our courses are available as private or group tuition. Times and dates are flexible so please see our website or contact [email protected] for more information.

Need some more convincing? Check out these reasons for learning a language. We particularly like the idea of having a language of secret communication, and the idea that it could help you to find romance by increasing your selection pool!

Sad as we were to bid farewell to the Fringe, this week we were also very happy to welcome our new Work Placement students. The 8 students who will be with us for 6 months, are here thanks to the European Leonardo da Vinci scheme. Each student will have 2 weeks of intensive English Language preparation before being sent to their designated workplace for the rest of their time here. Work placements are varied and tailored to match the individual requirements of the students, who will continue to attend evening English language classes 2 evenings per week. I am sure you will be hearing from them here soon.

We will also soon be launching our new term of evening language classes. The courses will run for twelve weeks, are available in a number of levels, and are available in English and other foreign languages. Our English Exam Preparation courses are perfect for those wishing to obtain a formal qualification by sitting CAE, FCE or IELTS exams.

For more information or details regarding price and dates, please contact [email protected]

A bientot!

This week, along with the students, we have continues to soak up the festival atmosphere and have enjoyed the recent addition of The Edinburgh Book Festival to the our summer calendar. The festival invites over 800 celebrated authors from around the world, allowing them and the audience to share their thoughts and opinions on a wide range of issues - see below!

When we are not enjoying the many cultural events on offer, we are of course studying hard! On that note, it is perhaps fit to remind you that we will shortly be starting our new term of evening language classes. A variety of languages and classes are on offer, and the evenings are particularly good for those wishing to study for a CAE, IELTS or other qualifications. Plus, book before the end of August and receive a 5% discount on the cost of the whole package. You can find out more details on our website or feel free to pop in and see us.

Have a nice weekend!

Those lucky enough to have already visited Edinburgh, will understand why it is viewed as being on of the the most exciting capital cities in the world! Breathtakingly beautiful Edinburgh, and I think it is fair to say the rest of Scotland, is a hot spot of history, culture and activity. This is especially true this August as we play host to both the Edinburgh Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival. It would be impossible to get bored!

We are also getting into full swing of the Olympics, watching all the events on the Big Screen located in Festival Square. Team GB have been doing extremely we have had plenty of Scottish wins in there to celebrate. Check them out here.

At inlingua Ediburgh, we do of course, like to get in on all the action which is why we are hosting a range of events to keep the students (and ourselves!) entertained when lessons are over. As mentioned in previous posts we have welcomed several acts for the Edinburgh Fringe, and tonight sees the first performance of one-man show Hitler Alone. More details to follow.

And if that wasn't enough, we also keep you entertained on your climb up the stairs, with the fabulous photography exhibition "Hand Wash Only".

See you soon at inlingua Edinburgh!

We knew we were playing host to some fantastic acts, and now it seems that BroadwayBaby agrees. Last week, reviewers were seriously impressed by Kate Daisy Grant and Nick Pynn, who take it in turns to take centre stage by giving two separate performances. The insider's guide to the festival, reviews both artists which you can read by clicking here and here!

If that wasn't enough, broadwaybaby.com is also raving about Sweedish theatrical performance Request Programme, rating it as a "must-see". The intimate piece follows the activities of the character Miss Rasch (played by Cecilia Nilsson), during one lonely evening. You can read the review here.

Places for these highly recommended performances are limited, so we advice advance booking.

See you there!

Multi award-winner and multi talented Pynn, is mentioned in the guardian this week as being one of the must see acts for 2012.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2012/jul/30/stewart-lee-slow-death-edinburgh-fringe

We are all looking extremely forward to hosting Nick, as he performs his unique take on folk with fellow artist Kate Daisy Grant.

The multi-instrumentalist duo, will be performing here at inlingua Edinburgh as of the 2nd of August. For more info regarding the performance and tickets, please check out the Fringe guide online.

http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/music/kate-daisy-grant-with-nick-pynn

Hopefully see you there!

As of Thursday we will be operating as venue 258, and hosting a range of acclaimed and diverse acts, from plays and music.

More details to follow, so check back here soon.

In the meantime enjoy the sunshine!

For example, knowing that an Open Close focuses mostly on grammar words, or occasionally on collocations, helps give students a clue as to the possible options/answers.

Knowing that the four choices in a multiple choice task are there as distracters helps students cope with them and not get so easily misled.

Therefore, it is worth looking at test tasks and asking a number of key questions:

1. What is the task testing?
2. How is it testing it?
3. How am I supposed to know the answer?
4. What is the best technique to use to get the correct answer? 5. Are there any things to try and avoid?

This word is anything but dull but describes dull, grey and wet weather on a rainy day.

“The weather is dreich”