Date:    Wed, 11 Feb 1998 22:45:55 -0500
<br>From:    "W. Randolph Beckford"  beckford[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]DICKINSON.EDU 
<br>Subject: word choice
<br>
<br>If anyone would like to answer the following question for me, I would
<br>appreciate it.  If not, please ignore or direct me to the proper forum.
<br>
<br>I am a student tutoring ESL to a visiting Russian professor at my college.
<br>Frequently confusing the senses of "say," "tell," and "speak" (because she
<br>says that Russian has one word for all three), I tried to explain the
<br>difference myself.  However, although I could show her example sentences,
<br>even my own logic told me that, like Russian, these verbs ought to be
<br>synonyms in English, theoretically.  For example, "The teacher says to
<br>read chapter 6;"  but NOT "The teacher speaks (tells) to read chapter 6."
<br>I realize that this probably has to do with a transitive/intransitive
<br>difference, but could someone explain it clearly in this instance?
<br>
<br>Although I may just be experiencing a "mind fart," thank you very much!
<br>
<br>Randy Beckford
<br>Writing Center Consultant
<br>Dickinson College
<br>Carlisle, PA
<br>
<br>*****************
<br>
<br>Si futurum est, fiet.
<br>