Say vs Says – What’s the difference?

Verbs play a very interesting role in English grammar. It is a part of speech; without verbs, sentences will never be complete. The word say comes under this category and is a very commonly used word in English.

The word say basically means to communicate information verbally or in words. It is a verb that means to provide information in words. So, the difference between say and says regarding their meaning is negligible. However, there is a slight difference in their usage and structure.

Say vs Says

Say

Say is the simple present form and the basic form of the verb. It forms the infinitive to say. It is usually used when referring to a larger group of more than one person. That means it is the plural form of the verb.

For example:

• They say it is not good to visit the house in the evening.
• People say that I don’t work hard.
• People say that Sam is a boring person.

Says

Says is also a present form of the verb. However, it is different from say because it is the singular form of the verb. It is usually used for the singular third persons, such as he, she, and it. But with I, it is, I say.

For example:

• He says he’s never leaving school.
• She says Mary is her best friend at school.

So, this is a basic difference between say and says. They have the same meaning, but both have different uses.