When referencing an information or a statement that somebody verbally uttered, we often write about it using verbs such as “say,” “tell,” “talk,” and “speak”. As such, you say “Congressman Downes told reporters that the new bills is on its way to being passed.”
However, the same verbal-speak is also used to refer to words that are stated using a written form, such as a research journal, a book or an emailed press release. That’s typically where some English speakers get confused. In fact, I once heard an argument that you shouldn’t use the aforementioned words ( “say,” “tell,” “talk,” and “speak”) when referring to written text since paper doesn’t exactly make a sound.
In truth, however, it’s perfectly correct to use those words to refer to written material as long as you are careful of the attribution. As a general rule, try referring to the person responsible for the statement to ensure correct usage. When working from a term paper, for instance, you can say that “The author tells us that the experiment is inconclusive.”
In cases where the author isn’t easily used, as in the case of a scientific journal with ten names listed, it’s also generally accepted to refer to the inanimate object as the speaker, as in “The research tells us that the experiment is inconclusive.” However, this can lead to some confusion (though not frequently), so it’s best to be careful and examine your usage to ensure that the message is perfectly clear. Make sure to pass your writing through a good writing software and grammar checker during editing to catch any potential mistakes.
