had been told. usually signifies something that has happened (and completed) in the more distant past than the simple past. was told.
Said is the past participle of say and told, that of tell. Both are informal usages,however, told is more emphatic and means to inform something to someone.
told Sentence Examples
- I told you not to give my number to anyone.
- I've told myself that a hundred times.
- Has Alex told you about the party?
- They told him about the wonderful things they had seen there.
- Mom told me that Dad forgave her for her affair with Señor Medena.
- Has anybody ever told you that you're beautiful?
“Had been” means something began in the past, lasted for some time, then ended. This is entirely in the past. He had been in prison from 1900 to 1914. This verb tense is known as past perfect.
The past tense of tell is told. The third-person singular simple present indicative form of tell is tells. The present participle of tell is telling.
We use say and tell in different ways in reported speech. Say focuses on the words someone said and tell focuses more on the content or message of what someone said: 'Hello,' she said. Not: 'Hello,' she told.
a payment or fee exacted by the state, the local authorities, etc., for some right or privilege, as for passage along a road or over a bridge. the extent of loss, damage, suffering, etc., resulting from some action or calamity: The toll was 300 persons dead or missing.
'I heard' is past tense and indeed means that you had heard something previously. 'I hear' is different. It is present tense of course, but it is more figurative in the context you are talking about. It means something along the lines of 'The rumour is', not that you are literally hearing something.
According to the "top definition" of "I hear you" in the Urban Dictionary, the phrase is an "old hippie expression for accepting another persons statement/oppinion even if you do not agree with them, because you respect the other persons right to their own oppinion and freedom of expression and speech."
Re: did you hear, have you heard
In your example, both are correct. American speakers might be more likely to use "Did you hear" whereas British speakers might prefer "Have you heard". In other contexts there is a nice difference: We use the present perfect when the finished action is relevant to the present.SYNONYMS. perceive, catch, get, make out, take in, apprehend, discern. overhear. listen to, attend to, give ear to.
have you heard. Do you know (about someone or something)? Often suggestive of gossip.