Page 524 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

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We do not usually use it after tell to refer to a fact.
What time's the meeting?- I'll tell you tomorrow. (NOT til tell }'6tt it
ttJflUjff6tt1.)
infinitives
Tell can be used before object + infinitive, in the sense of 'order' or 'instruct'. Say cannot be used like this.
1 told the children to go away. (NOT I Stlit/: the ehiltWen ttJ g6 away.) indirect questions
Neither tell nor say can introduce indirect questions (see 276).
Bill asked whether 1 wanted to see a film. (N OT Bill Stlit/: whether I f;tItlnted t6
see a film. OR Bill reid me whether . ..)
But say and tell can introduce the answers to questions.
Has she said who's coming?
He only told one person where the money was.
For so after say and tell. see 540.
see
progressive forms not used
When see means 'perceive with one's eyes', progressive ('continuous') forms are not normally used.
Do you see the woman in blue over there? (NOT J~re}'6!t seeing .. .?)
To talk about seeing something at the moment of speaking, can see is often used, especially in British English (see 125).
1can see an aeroplane. (ArnE also 1see an airplane.) (NOT : ant seeing an tteroplttlle.)
But we can say that somebody is seeing things if we mean that he/she is imagining things that are not there.
Loole! A camel!- You're seeing things.
When see means 'understand' or 'have heard' (see 243), progressive forms are not normally used.
We've got a problem. - I see.
I see they're talking about putting up taxes again.
2 changes
Progressive forms can be used for changes in people's ability to see.
I'm seeing much better since 1got those new glasses.
I'm seeing a lot o f things in this book that I missed when 1 read it before.
3 'meet', 'arrange' etc
When see means 'meet', 'interview', 'talk to', 'go out with' or 'arrange', 'supervise', progressive forms are possible.
I'm seeing the dentist tomorrow.
Are you still seeing that Henderson woman?
John's down at the docks. He's seeing that our stuffgets loaded properly.
see 505
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