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Paco2004 Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

Lie/tell a lie

0 Hello teachers 02br
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00Do you feel any difference between "He lied" and "He told a lie"? 02br
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00I ask this because I saw an opinion in an online forum by English learners that native speakers rarely use "tell a lie" in everyday speech on the reason that the noun "lie" connotes something criminal or morally/religiously sinful. According to the opinion, the simple verb "lie" is somehow weaker than "tell a lie" in the notion of blame or reproach. Is it true? 02br
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00paco 0-
  

Top answer

0 Hi Paco, 02br 00Yes, I'd say there is a difference. Here are some very brief thoughts. 02br 01blockquote 00tell a lie 12blockquote 12br 00Makes the lie seem more child-like, more innocent - we say that a child tells a lie.

— Clive

  • 0 Hi Paco, 02br 00Yes, I'd say there is a difference.
  • Here are some very brief thoughts.
  • 02br 01blockquote 00tell a lie 12blockquote 12br 00Makes the lie seem more child-like, more innocent - we say that a child tells a lie.
  • 02br 00Seems less morally wrong, more minor.
  • 02br 00Separates the person from the 'words'.
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5 Answers
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0 Hi Paco, 02br
00Yes, I'd say there is a difference. Here are some very brief thoughts. 02br
01blockquote
00tell a lie 12blockquote
12br
00Makes the lie seem more child-like, more innocent - we say that a child tells a lie. 02br
00Seems less morally wrong, more minor. 02br
00Separates the person from the
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0 Hello Clive 02br
02br
00Thank you for the quick reply. 02br
02br
00I'm a little surprised to hear that "somebody tells a lie" sounds less morally wrong than "somebody lies". 02br
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00Anyway I like to hear additional opinions from other people. 02br
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00paco 0-
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0 I agree with Clive - saying "he told a lie" sounds like there might be extenuating circumstances -- "he told a lie, but it was to avoid embarrassing someone" while "he lied" doesn't leave much room for explanations. "He lied" also has more of a suggestion of a habitual action, rather than a specific circumstance. 02br
02br
00(Are you familiar with the expression "a little
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0 Clive, 02br
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00I agree with that assessment. 02br
00It pretty much sums up the difference. 02br
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00Jim 0-
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0 Hello Clive, Khoff, and CJ 02br
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00Thank you for the replies. Now I understand what that poster said in the Japanese forum was completely opposite to correct usages. Your answers are really precious, because no dictionary gives us this kind of detailed usage explanation. 02br
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00paco 0-
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