student asking question

Is there any difference between "as I said" and "as I was saying"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Great question. They're both 'grammatical' and both in common use, but there is a difference between them. "As I said" is usually used when you are repeating something you have said before, usually go the same person. Depending on the context it can sound a little confrontational in conversation, or even dismissive. "As I was saying", on the other hand, can be used as a way of completing and interrupted sentence or, like 'as I said', as a recognition-claiming marker. In this clip it is being used because Rachel was interrupted by Ross and is finishing what she is saying, not repeating it. Since she is not repeating it, "as I said" would not be appropriate. Ex: As I said to Alice, it's getting really cold. Ex: A: The first thing to do... B: Oh, sorry I'm late. A: As I was saying, the first thing we need to do is make a plan.

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