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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

He said /told...

The doctor said that I have a cancer (to me).

The doctor told me that I have a cancer.

I think either one means the same, but is there some nuance we have to tell between them? Thank you so much as usual.
  

Top answer

I think both sentences should be written as follows: The doctor said to me that I had a cancer. The doctor told me that I had a cancer.

— Anonymous

  • I think both sentences should be written as follows: The doctor said to me that I had a cancer.
  • The doctor told me that I had a cancer.
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7 Answers
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I think both sentences should be written as follows:
The doctor said to me that I had a cancer.
The doctor told me that I had a cancer.

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Anonymous1) The doctor said that I have (a) cancer (to me).
2) The doctor told me that I have (a) cancer.
The second sentence is the good one.
The first one would have to be 'The doctor said to me that I have cancer.' But few if any native speakers would say that. They say 2).
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There is no nuance between said and told.
Cancer is uncountable

The doctor said to me that I have/had cancer.
The doctor told me that I have/had cancer.

Either 'have' or 'had' is acceptable if you still have cancer.
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Mister Micawber Cancer is uncountable not always
Some people are unfortunate enough to have two different cancers simultaneously. But it is much more common to have the same cancer in two or more places (at the same time).

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canadian45The second sentence is the good one.
Not really. The two sentences are of equal value if 'to me' is relocated as I have indicated in my first post.
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You say things, and you tell people.
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I also relocated it, but I expressed my opinion that 'told me' is much more common/natural than 'said to me'.
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