/tel/
Translation
To give information to someone using words.
Word origin
From Old English tellan, meaning to count or to relate, linked to the idea of counting out words.
- Origin
- Old English
- Root
- tellan
Grammar
Irregular verb. A full conjugation table for irregular verbs is coming soon. For now, use a reference like Wordreference or RAE.
Examples
.
"Tell" asks the person to give you the information.
.
"Tells" is the form used with he, she, or it.
.
"Told" is the past form of "tell".
Used in
Stories
(23)A Rainy Afternoon
3 min read · Core 1000
At the Doctor
3 min read · Core 1000
The Late Bus
3 min read · Core 1000
The Phone Call
3 min read · Core 1000
The Surprise Party
3 min read · Core 1000
The Boat in the Garden
4 min read · Core 5000
The Broken Window
4 min read · Core 5000
The Clock in the Hall
4 min read · Core 5000
The Letter She Never Sent
4 min read · Core 5000
The Long Way Home
4 min read · Core 1000
The Passenger
4 min read · Core 5000
Two Gardens
4 min read · Core 5000
Not in Front of Them
5 min read · Core 1000
The Box in the Wood
5 min read · Core 5000
The First Letter
5 min read · Core 5000
The Midnight Piano
5 min read · Core 5000
The Photograph
5 min read · Core 5000
The Register
5 min read · Core 5000
The Suggestion Box
5 min read · Core 5000
The Swimming Lesson
5 min read · Core 5000
The Tuesday Visitor
5 min read · Core 5000
Two Tickets to Paris
5 min read · Core 5000
The Last Light
8 min read · Core 5000
Grammar articles
(31)Adjective order in English: opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin, material, purpose
Advanced articles in English: the zero article, the with names and places, and go to school vs go to the school
Cleft sentences in English: it was X who, what I need is, and how to move the emphasis
Conditional sentences in English: the four types explained
Countable and uncountable nouns in English: advice, information, news and the ones you simply have to learn
Discourse markers in English: well, anyway, actually, mind you and by the way
For, since, already, yet and still in English: which word, and where it goes in the sentence
Future in the past: was going to, would, was about to, and the grammar of plans that failed
Future tense in English: will, going to and more explained
Gerund and infinitive: which verb form comes next?
Gradable and ungradable adjectives: why very furious sounds wrong, and which intensifier goes where
Indirect questions in English: Could you tell me where the station is, and the word order that goes with it
Irregular verbs in English: the full list by pattern
Modal verbs in English: rules, examples and how to use them
Modals of deduction in English: must be, might be, could be and can't be
Advanced passive structures in English: the get-passive, it is said that, and passives with two objects
Passive voice in English: rules, examples and when to use it
Past modals in English: should have, could have, must have and might have
Past perfect tense: had plus past participle, and when English actually needs it
Past simple tense: rules, examples and when to use it
Prepositions in English: place, time and movement explained
Present perfect continuous: have been doing, and how it differs from the present perfect
Present simple tense: rules, examples and when to use it
Quantifiers in English: some, any, much, many and more
Relative clauses in English: defining, non-defining and when to drop the pronoun
Reported speech in English: backshift, questions and commands
Reporting verbs in English: admit, deny, suggest, promise, and the pattern welded to each one
English tenses explained: all 12 with a master table
Time clauses in English: when, while, as soon as, until, before and after
Verb patterns with objects in English: want somebody to do, make somebody do, and see somebody doing
Wish and if only in English: wish + past, wish + past perfect, wish + would, and why I wish I would is wrong
Add to review queue
Track this word in your spaced-repetition queue and be tested on it at the right interval.
Go to my review queueThis word is part of lesson 2.