SAY AND TELL

Say and tell have similar meanings. They both mean to communicate verbally with someone. But we often use them differently.

The simple way to think of say and tell is:

• You say something
• You tell someone something

You say something	You tell someone something
Julia said that she was tired.	Julia told her father that she was tired.
Ann says you have a new girlfriend.	Ann tells me you have a new girlfriend.
Tom said, 'I love you'.	Tom told Sue that he loved her.

Personal object
We usually follow tell with a personal object (the person that we are speaking to). We usually use say without a personal object:

• She told me that she had a new job.
• She said that she had met John at the library.
• He told everybody that he was going to work in Canada.
• He said that he had to leave.

Say "to someone"
With say, we sometimes use "to someone":

• He said to me that he was sad.
• Tina said to Rose that she had done very well.
• Andrew said to her, 'I hope you come soon'.
• 'I'd like to sleep', the baby said to his mother quietly.

Orders, advice
We use tell + object + infinitive for orders or advice:

• She told him to sit down.
• They told me not to wait.
• Tell Jim to have a holiday and forget her.

Phrases
Here are a few fixed phrases with tell: 

• tell (someone) a story
• tell (someone) a lie
• tell (someone) the truth
• tell the future (= to know what the future will bring)
• tell the time (= know how to read a clock)
• tell a joke

Here are some few fixed phrases with say:

• It's easier said than done (=something is a good idea but difficult to achieve)
• It goes without saying (=It's completely obvious or true)
• who can say (=no one knows what will happen in the future)
  
• say cheese(=to ask someone to smile before you take their photograph)

Now, click in the following links to practice:
http://www.saberingles.com.ar/exercises/332.html

https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/cw-say-tell_quiz.htm

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/confusing_words/say_tell.htm