Grammar

Tell, Say, Speak & Talk (Beginner)

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Quatro verbos que significam “falar” — mas os usamos de forma diferente

Estes verbos parecem semelhantes, mas cada um tem um uso. Vamos aprendê-los passo a passo.

1️⃣ TELL

Significado: dizer / contar algo para alguém

Regra simples

👉 Tell + person + something
❌ No to

Exemplos

  • I told you the truth.
  • I told Marcos the news.
  • I tell my son to eat well.

❌ I told to Marcos.

🧠 Remember: Tell já significa “a alguém”.

2️⃣ SAY

Significado: dizer palavras (foco no que é dito)

Regra simples

👉 Say + words

Normalmente NÃO mencionamos a pessoa. Quando usamos a pessoa, usamos to.
👉 Say + words + to + person

Exemplos

  • I said hello.
  • I said sorry to my mom.
  • I said, “Relax,” to my mom.

❌ I said Marcos.

🧠 Use say para palavras ou mensagens curtas.

3️⃣ TALK

Significado: conversar / falar (interação)

Regra simples

👉 Talk + to / with + person

Exemplos

  • I talked to my friend.
  • Talk to me.
  • We talked yesterday.

❌ Talk my friend.

4️⃣ SPEAK

Significado: falar (idiomas / de forma mais formal)

Simple rule

👉 Speak + a language
👉 Speak + to + person

Exemplos

  • I speak English.
  • She spoke to the teacher.

🧠 Comparação

VerboUse-o quando você quer…
Telldizer algo a alguém
Saydizer palavras
Talkter uma conversa
Speakfalar formalmente / idioma

✏️ Exercícios

Exercício 1 — Escolha o verbo correto

  1. I want to ______ you something.
  2. She ______ to her dad.
  3. Can you ______ English?
  4. Talk ______ me, please.
  5. He _____ her to eat.

Exercício 2 — Right or wrong?

Write ✔ or ❌.

  1. I told to my mom. ( )
  2. I said hello to my mom. ( )
  3. I talked my friend. ( )
  4. I speak English. ( )

Exercício 3 — Corrija

  1. I said Marcos hello.
  2. Talk me now.
  3. I told to her the truth.
  4. She told to the manager.

✅ Resposta

Exercício 1

  1. tell
  2. spoke
  3. speak
  4. to
  5. told

Exercício 2

  1. ❌
  2. ✔
  3. ❌
  4. ✔

Exercício 3

  1. I said hello to Marcos.
  2. Talk to me now.
  3. I told her the truth.
  4. She spoke to the manager.

✨ Dica fácil:

  • Tell + person
  • Say + words
  • Talk to + person
  • Speak + language

Tell, Say, Speak & Talk

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Understanding Similar Verbs in English

These four verbs often confuse learners because they are all related to communication. However, they are not interchangeable. This lesson will help you understand the differences clearly and use each verb with confidence.

1️⃣ TELL

Meaning: to give information to someone

Structure

Tell + person + (what was said)
⚠️ NO “to” before the person

Examples

  • I told Marcos the truth.
  • She told me about the trip.
  • He told her to check it out.

❌ I told to Marcos.

👉 Tell already includes the idea of “to someone”.

2️⃣ SAY

Meaning: to express words / focus on the message

Structure

  • Say + something
  • Say + something + TO + someone

Examples

  • She said hello.
  • He said hello to Marcos.
  • I said I was tired.

❌ I said Marcos.

👉 If you mention the person, you need to.

3️⃣ TALK

Meaning: to have a conversation (interaction)

Structure

Talk + TO + someone

Examples

  • I talked to Marcos yesterday.
  • We talked about work.

❌ I talked Marcos.

👉 Talk focuses on interaction, not the message itself.

4️⃣ SPEAK

Meaning: to talk in a more formal way

Commonly used for:

  • Languages
  • Formal situations

Structure

  • Speak + a language
  • Speak + TO + someone

Examples

  • I speak English.
  • She spoke to the manager.

Quick Comparison

VerbStructure
Telltell someone (NO to)
Saysay something (to someone)
Talktalk to someone
Speakspeak to someone / a language

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Choose the correct verb

Complete the sentences with tell, say, talk, or speak.

  1. I need to ______ you something important.
  2. She didn’t ______ anything to me.
  3. We talked and ______ about our plans.
  4. He ______ to his boss this morning.
  5. Can you ______ English?

Exercise 2 — Correct the sentences

Find and correct the mistake.

  1. I told to her the truth.
  2. He said me the answer.
  3. She talked her yesterday.
  4. I speak to English at work.

Exercise 3 — Make the sentences correct

  1. I told ______ to check it out.
  2. She said it ______ Marcos.
  3. They talked ______ their trip.
  4. He speaks ______ Spanish and French.

🗝️ Answer Key

Exercise 1

  1. tell
  2. say
  3. talked
  4. spoke
  5. speak

Exercise 2

  1. I told her the truth.
  2. He told me the answer / He said the answer to me.
  3. She talked to her yesterday.
  4. I speak English at work.

Exercise 3

  1. you / him / her / them
  2. to
  3. about
  4. — (no preposition)

More Practice

Exercise 4 — Choose the best option

Choose the correct verb.

  1. She didn’t ______ a word during the meeting.
  2. I need to ______ to you about something important.
  3. He ______ me he would be late.
  4. Can you ______ a little louder, please?
  5. They were ______ about their vacation.

Exercise 5 — Tell or Say?

Choose tell or say and make the sentence correct.

  1. She ______ me the truth.
  2. He ______ it to his parents.
  3. Don’t ______ anyone about this.
  4. What did she ______?

Exercise 6 — Rewrite using the verb in brackets

Rewrite the sentence using the verb in parentheses.

  1. I said to her, “Don’t worry.” (tell)
  2. He spoke to the teacher yesterday. (talk)
  3. She said hello to me. (tell)
  4. They talked to the manager. (speak)

Exercise 7 — Real-life use

Complete the sentences so they sound natural.

  1. I need to ______ my kids to slow down.
  2. She didn’t ______ goodbye.
  3. We need to ______ to the doctor.
  4. He ______ three languages.

🗝️ Answer Key

Exercise 4

  1. say
  2. talk
  3. told
  4. speak
  5. talking

Exercise 5

  1. told
  2. said
  3. tell
  4. say

Exercise 6

  1. I told her not to worry.
  2. He talked to the teacher yesterday.
  3. She told me hello.
  4. They spoke to the manager.

Exercise 7

  1. tell
  2. say
  3. talk / speak
  4. speaks

Teacher’s Note — SAY vs TELL (Important)

Although the structure say + something + to someone is correct, the type of something matters.

✔ SAY sounds natural with:

  • short words or expressions (hello, sorry, goodbye)
  • direct speech (words in quotes)

Examples:

  • I said hello to my mom.
  • I said, “Relax,” to my mom.

⚠️ With long ideas or instructions, SAY + that + clause + to someone is grammatically possible, but not natural for beginners or everyday speech.

❌ I said that we should relax to my mom. (heavy / unnatural)

👉 In these cases, TELL is preferred:

  • I told my mom to relax.
  • I told her that we should relax.

📌 Teaching tip: use SAY for words and TELL for ideas.

👉 Extra Practice

Exercise 1 – Choose SAY or TELL

Complete with say or tell (use the correct tense):

  1. She ______ she was tired.
  2. He ______ me the truth.
  3. What did you ______ to your teacher?
  4. I ______ my mom I would be late.
  5. They ______ “Stop!” very loudly.
  6. Can you ______ me your name again?

Exercise 2 – Fix the sentence (common mistakes)

Corrija as frases:

  1. ❌ I said my friend the news.
  2. ❌ She told “hello” to me.
  3. ❌ He said to me that he was busy.
  4. ❌ I said that to my mom.

Exercise 3 – Complete with say (focus only on say)

Complete the sentences using say / said:

  1. Please ______ something.
  2. She ______ “thank you” and left.
  3. What did he ______ about the test?
  4. Don’t ______ that again.
  5. I never ______ that!

🗝️ Answer Key

Exercise 1

  1. said
  2. told
  3. say
  4. told
  5. said
  6. tell

Exercise 2

  1. I told my friend the news.
  2. She said “hello” to me.
  3. He told me that he was busy.
  4. I said that. / I told my mom that.

Exercise 3

  1. say
  2. said
  3. say
  4. say
  5. said

✨ Tip for learners: If you’re unsure, ask yourself:

  • Am I focusing on the person? → tell
  • On the words? → say
  • On interaction? → talk
  • On formality or language? → speak

VERB TENSES

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12 Verb Tenses in English Explained - Grammar

1. Verb to be (am / is / are – was / were)

Use: to describe people, things, places, time, emotions.

Examples:

  • I’m tired today.
  • She was at the gym yesterday.
  • They are friends.

✏️ Exercises:

  1. Complete with am, is, are, was or were:
    a) I ___ at home right now.
    b) She ___ a teacher.
    c) We ___ in Paris last summer.
    d) You ___ very kind!
    e) It ___ rainy yesterday.
  2. Make the sentences negative:
    a) He is my brother. →
    b) They were late. →
    c) I’m happy. →
  3. Make questions:
    a) She is from Brazil. →
    b) You were at the party. →

2. Simple Present

Use: habits, routines, general truths.
Structure: subject + base verb (+s/es in 3rd person)

Examples:

  • I study English every day.
  • She goes to the gym on Mondays.
  • The sun rises in the east.

✏️ Exercises:

  1. Complete:
    a) He ___ (play) soccer every weekend.
    b) I ___ (not like) coffee.
    c) ___ you ___ (work) on Saturdays?
  2. Write/say 3 sentences about your daily routine.
  3. Correct the mistakes:
    a) She go to school by bus.
    b) Do he like pizza?
    c) They doesn’t live here.

3. Simple Past

Use: finished actions in the past.
Structure: subject + past form of verb (regular: +ed / irregular: 2nd column)

Examples:

  • I visited my grandparents yesterday.
  • They went to the beach last weekend.

✏️ Exercises:

  1. Complete:
    a) We ___ (watch) a movie last night.
    b) She ___ (go) to bed late.
    c) I ___ (not see) him yesterday.
    d) ___ you ___ (study) for the test?
  2. Transform to negative:
    a) He worked on Sunday. →
    b) They met their friends. →
  3. Write 3 sentences about what you did last weekend.

4. Present Perfect

Use: experiences, recent events, unfinished time.
Structure: have/has + past participle

Examples:

  • I have been to London.
  • She has finished her homework.
  • We haven’t seen that movie yet.

✏️ Exercises:

  1. Complete:
    a) I ___ (never / eat) sushi.
    b) She ___ (just / call) you.
    c) They ___ (not / visit) New York.
    d) ___ you ever ___ (try) surfing?
  2. Rewrite in present perfect:
    a) I saw this movie. →
    b) She finished her project. →

5. Present Continuous

Use: actions happening now or around now.
Structure: am/is/are + verb + ing

Examples:

  • I’m studying English.
  • She is cooking dinner.
  • They are not working today.

✏️ Exercises:

  1. Complete:
    a) I ___ (read) a book now.
    b) She ___ (not / sleep).
    c) ___ they ___ (watch) TV?
  2. Choose the correct option:
    a) Listen! The birds (sing / are singing).
    b) We (study / are studying) for the test now.
  3. Write 3 sentences about what people in your family are doing right now.

6. Going to – future plans and intentions

Use: plans already decided or clear intentions.
Structure: am/is/are + going to + verb

Examples:

  • I’m going to travel next month.
  • They’re going to buy a new car.

✏️ Exercises:

  1. Complete:
    a) We ___ (visit) Grandma tomorrow.
    b) She ___ (not / study) tonight.
    c) ___ you ___ (take) the test again?
  2. Write 3 sentences about what you’re going to do this weekend.

7. Will – predictions, promises, spontaneous decisions

Use:

  • Predictions: It will rain tomorrow.
  • Promises: I’ll help you.
  • Instant decisions: I’ll call her now!

✏️ Exercises:

  1. Complete:
    a) I think it ___ (rain) tonight.
    b) Don’t worry, I ___ (help) you.
    c) She ___ (not / be) late.
  2. Make sentences using “will” for:
    a) a promise
    b) a prediction
    c) a quick decision

✏️ 8. Mixed Practice

Complete with the correct tense of the verb in parentheses:

  1. I ___ (be) very tired yesterday.
  2. She ___ (study) English every day.
  3. They ___ (just / arrive).
  4. We ___ (go) to the park tomorrow.
  5. Look! It ___ (rain)!
  6. I ___ (not see) him since last year.
  7. He ___ (be) a teacher for 10 years.
  8. Don’t worry — I ___ (help) you with your homework.
  9. She ___ (watch) TV now.
  10. ___ you ___ (ever / travel) abroad?

🗣️ 9. Personal Practice (Speaking or Writing)

Answer in complete sentences:

  1. Where are you from?
  2. What do you usually do on Sundays?
  3. What did you do yesterday?
  4. Have you ever eaten something exotic?
  5. What are you doing right now?
  6. What are you going to do next weekend?
  7. What will you do if it rains tomorrow?

🌀 Mixed Practice – Level up!

A. Complete the sentences with the correct verb form.

  1. I ______ (be) tired yesterday, but I ______ (feel) great today.
  2. She ______ (not / see) that movie yet.
  3. Look! It ______ (snow)!
  4. We ______ (go) to the beach every summer.
  5. They ______ (not / be) at school last Friday.
  6. I think it ______ (rain) tonight.
  7. He ______ (study) English for three years.
  8. We ______ (go) to travel to Canada next year.
  9. I ______ (not / have) breakfast this morning.
  10. Where ______ you (be) at 9 a.m.?

B. Rewrite the sentences as requested.

  1. She goes to work by bus. (make negative) →
  2. They watched a movie last night. (make a question) →
  3. I’ve been to Italy. (make negative) →
  4. He’s cooking dinner. (change to simple present) →
  5. I’m going to call my friend. (change to will) →

C. Choose the correct answer.

  1. I ____ my keys. Can you help me find them?
    a) lost b) have lost c) lose
  2. She ____ TV when the phone rang.
    a) watches b) was watching c) has watched
  3. We ____ in this city since 2010.
    a) live b) lived c) have lived
  4. Don’t worry! I ____ you with that.
    a) help b) am helping c) will help
  5. What ____ you ____ tonight?
    a) do / do b) are / doing c) did / do

D. Fill in with your own ideas (personal answers).

  1. I’m really happy because I’m ______.
  2. Yesterday I ______.
  3. I have never ______.
  4. Next weekend I’m going to ______.
  5. I think I will ______ in the future.

E. Translate into English.

  1. Eu estava cansado, mas feliz.
  2. Ela nunca visitou Nova York.
  3. Está chovendo muito agora.
  4. Eles vão comprar um carro novo.
  5. Acho que vou dormir cedo hoje.

F. Challenge: Combine the tenses!

Write a short paragraph (5–6 sentences) that includes at least four different tenses.
Example:

I’m studying English because I’ve always loved languages. I started when I was ten. My teacher is amazing! Next year, I’m going to take an exam, and I’m sure I’ll pass it.

Simple Present

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Os verbos em inglês possuem três tempos verbais principais: passado, presente e futuro.

  • O passado é usado para descrever ações que já aconteceram
    (ex.: yesterday = ontem, last week = semana passada, three years ago = há três anos).
  • O futuro descreve ações que ainda vão acontecer
    (ex.: later = mais tarde, tomorrow = amanhã, next week = semana que vem).
  • O presente simples é usado para falar de coisas em geral — ações que acontecem com frequência ou situações que são geralmente verdadeiras.

Doctors work in hospitals.
(Os médicos trabalham em hospitais.) — Verdade geral.

The doctor starts work at 9:00.
(O médico começa a trabalhar às 9h.) — Acontece sempre.

Conjugação: muito mais simples que em português!

Conjugar os verbos em inglês é bem mais simples do que em português.
Enquanto em português dizemos:

eu trabalho, você trabalha, ele trabalha, nós trabalhamos, vocês trabalham, eles trabalham,

em inglês, a conjugação no presente muda somente para he, she, it.

Vejam:

PessoaVerbo “work” (trabalhar)
Iwork
Youwork
He / She / Itworks
Wework
Youwork
Theywork

Como formar o presente simples

Usamos o infinitivo sem “to” (forma base do verbo) quando o sujeito é:
I (eu), you (você / vocês), we (nós) ou they (eles / elas).

Exemplos:

  • I work as a shop assistant. → Eu trabalho como atendente de loja.
  • You work as a cashier. → Você trabalha como caixa.
  • We work at weekends. → Nós trabalhamos nos fins de semana.
  • They work together. → Eles trabalham juntos.

Para a 3ª pessoa do singular — he (ele), she (ela), it (ele/ela para coisas ou animais) — acrescentamos “s” ou “es” ao verbo:

  • He works at a school. → Ele trabalha em uma escola.
  • He teaches English. → Ele ensina inglês.

Formas negativas e interrogativas

Nas frases negativas e interrogativas, usamos o verbo “do” como verbo auxiliar, junto com o verbo principal.

Quando o sujeito é he, she ou it, “do” muda para “does.”

Forma negativa

A estrutura é:
👉 Sujeito + do/does + not + verbo principal.
(Do/does not também pode ser abreviado para don’t/doesn’t.)

Exemplos:

  • We do not work at a school. → Nós não trabalhamos em uma escola.
    (ou We don’t work at a school.)
  • He does not speak English. → Ele não fala inglês.
    (ou He doesn’t speak English.)

Forma interrogativa

Na pergunta, a ordem das palavras muda:
👉 Do/Does + sujeito + verbo principal + ?

Exemplos:

  • Do you work here? → Você trabalha aqui?
    – Yes, we do. → Sim, trabalhamos.
  • Does he speak English? → Ele fala inglês?
    – No, he doesn’t. → Não, ele não fala.

🟡 Atenção: Não usamos “do/does” em perguntas com o verbo to be (am, is, are) ou com verbos modais (can, might, must, etc.).

Verbo irregular “to have”

O verbo to have (ter) é irregular e muda na 3ª pessoa do singular:
👉 he / she / it has (em vez de have).

Este é um verbo muito comum e importante — fácil de aprender e fundamental para o uso do presente simples.

Agora, assista aos vídeo e pratique o que aprendeu! 🎬✨

Prática extra

Complete as frases com o verbo entre parênteses:

  1. My dad doesn’t work, but my mom ___________ a lot. (to work)
  2. He _________ to stay here. (to have)
  3. Carol _______________ to the gym every single day. (to go)
  4. I’m not OK with that, but my husband ____________ the idea. (to like)
  5. He ___________ his homework in the morning. (to do)
  6. She _____________ to read a book. (to prefer)
  7. The baby ___________ to eat. (to need)
  8. She ____________ to travel abroad. (to want)
  9. My son ______________ in the morning. (to study)
  10. Her daughter ______________ professionally. (to sing)
  11. His kid _____________ TV all day long! (to watch)
  12. She always _____________ to music. (to listen)

✅ Respostas:

1 – works
2 – has
3 – goes
4 – likes
5 – does
6 – prefers
7 – needs
8 – wants
9 – studies
10 – sings
11 – watches
12 – listens

Noun + Noun Combinations

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What are they?

In English, we often use two nouns together to name something.
The first noun describes or gives more information about the second noun — it works like an adjective.

Example:

  • chocolate cake = a cake made with chocolate
  • car key = a key for a car

Word Order Difference

In Portuguese, we usually say:

X de Y → bolo de chocolate

In English, we flip the order:

Y + X → chocolate cake

Think of it as “turning the phrase around.”

Examples by Category

TypePortugueseEnglishExplanation
Materialsapato de couroleather shoesshoes made of leather
Ingredientbolo de chocolatechocolate cakecake made with chocolate
Purposeescova de cabelohairbrusha brush used for hair
Contentcopo de vinhowine glassglass for wine
Placefazenda de cafécoffee farmfarm that produces coffee
Timereunião de domingoSunday meetingmeeting that happens on Sunday

Important Notes

✅ The first noun is usually singular, even when it refers to something plural:

  • a shoe store (not shoes store)

✅ If we use nouns that are always used in plural forms (such as shoes, glasses, gloves, etc.) as a modifier for another noun, we have to use them in the singular form:

  • His shoe size is 44.

Shoe is a singular form of the normally plural word shoes used to modify the noun size.

✅ Sometimes two nouns become a compound noun — a single concept that can be written as:

  • one word (toothbrush, toothpaste, bedroom, policeman)
  • two separate words (coffee cup, police station)
  • or hyphenated (mother-in-law, check-in, 15-year-old boy)

There’s no fixed rule for which form to use — it’s based on common usage.
👉 When in doubt, check a dictionary to see if it’s one word, two words, or hyphenated.

Common Mistakes for Portuguese Speakers

salad potato ❌
potato salad ✅

cup wine ❌
wine cup or wine glass ✅

The first noun always comes before the main noun and without “of”.
We only use “of” for possession or abstract ideas (the color of the sky, a friend of mine).

Press play and reinforce your learning!

Practice Time ✏️

A. Flip it!
Change from Portuguese-style order to English-style order:

  1. copo de água → ___________
  2. sapato de couro → ___________
  3. bolo de cenoura → ___________
  4. reunião de equipe → ___________
  5. história de amor → ___________

Answers:

  1. water glass
  2. leather shoes
  3. carrot cake
  4. team meeting
  5. love story

B. Complete the sentences:

  1. I need my ________ keys. (car)
  2. She’s wearing a beautiful ________ dress. (summer)
  3. We stayed in a small ________ house. (beach)
  4. This is my favorite ________ shop. (coffee)
  5. He bought a new ________ phone. (cell)

Answers:

  1. car keys
  2. summer dress
  3. beach house
  4. coffee shop
  5. cell phone

Quick Recap

👉 First noun = description (acts like an adjective)
👉 Second noun = main idea
👉 Formula: noun + noun → one concept
👉 In Portuguese: X de Y → In English: Y + X

💡 Tip for Learners

Try noticing these combinations when reading or listening to English — they’re everywhere!
Example: bus stop, flower shop, baby food, school bag, mountain view, etc.