(~s, ~ing, told)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
If you ~ someone something, you give them information.
In the evening I returned to ~ Phyllis our relationship was over...
I called Andie to ~ her how spectacular the stuff looked...
Claire had made me promise to ~ her the truth...
I only told the truth to the press when the single was released as it seemed the perfect time to do it...
Tell us about your moment on the summit...
Her voice breaking with emotion, she told him: ‘It doesn’t seem fair’.
VERB: V n that, V n wh, V n n, V n to n, V n about n, V with quote
2.
If you ~ something such as a joke, a story, or your personal experiences, you communicate it to other people using speech.
His friends say he was always quick to ~ a joke...
He told his story to The Sunday Times and produced photographs...
Will you ~ me a story?
VERB: V n, V n to n, V n n
3.
If you ~ someone to do something, you order or advise them to do it.
A passer-by told the driver to move his car so that it was not causing an obstruction...
VERB: V n to-inf
4.
If you ~ yourself something, you put it into words in your own mind because you need to encourage or persuade yourself about something.
‘Come on’, she told herself...
I told myself I would be satisfied with whatever I could get.
VERB: V pron-refl with quote, V pron-refl that
5.
If you can ~ what is happening or what is true, you are able to judge correctly what is happening or what is true.
It was already impossible to ~ where the bullet had entered...
You can ~ he’s joking.
VERB: no cont, oft with brd-neg, V wh, V that
6.
If you can ~ one thing from another, you are able to recognize the difference between it and other similar things.
I can’t really ~ the difference between their policies and ours...
How do you ~ one from another?...
I had to look twice to ~ which was Martinez; they all looked alike.
VERB: no cont, oft with brd-neg, V n between pl-n, V n from n, V wh
7.
If you ~, you reveal or give away a secret. (INFORMAL)
Many of the children know who they are but are not ~ing.
VERB: V
8.
If facts or events ~ you something, they reveal certain information to you through ways other than speech.
The facts ~ us that this is not true...
I don’t think the unemployment rate ever ~s us much about the future...
The evidence of our eyes ~s us a different story...
While most of us feel fairly complacent about the nutrients we’re getting from our diets, the facts ~ a very different story.
VERB: V n that, V n amount, V n n, V n
9.
If an unpleasant or tiring experience begins to ~, it begins to have a serious effect.
The pressure began to ~ as rain closed in after 20 laps...
VERB: V
10.
see also ~ing , kiss and ~
11.
You use as far as I can ~ or so far as I could ~ to indicate that what you are saying is based on the information you have, but that there may be things you do not know.
As far as I can ~, Jason is basically a nice guy...
PHRASE vagueness
12.
You can say ‘I ~ you’, ‘I can ~ you’, or ‘I can’t ~ you’ to add emphasis to what you are saying. (INFORMAL)
I ~ you this, I will not rest until that day has come...
This little letter gave us a few chuckles, I can ~ you...
CONVENTION emphasis
13.
If you say ‘You never can ~’, you mean that the future is always uncertain and it is never possible to know exactly what will happen.
You never can ~ what life is going to bring you.
CONVENTION
14.
If someone disagrees with you or refuses to do what you suggest and you are eventually proved to be right, you can say ‘I told you so’. (INFORMAL)
Her parents did not approve of her decision and, if she failed, her mother would say, ‘I told you so.’
CONVENTION
15.
You use I’ll ~ you what or I ~ you what to introduce a suggestion or a new topic of conversation. (SPOKEN)
I ~ you what, I’ll bring the water in a separate glass.
CONVENTION
16.
to ~ the time: see time
time will ~: see time