verb
1 give sb information
ADVERB
▪ bluntly , curtly , flatly
▪
She told me bluntly it was my own fault.
▪ gravely , seriously
▪ smugly
▪ honestly , truthfully
▪ gently , quietly , softly
▪ falsely
VERB + TELL
▪ want to
▪ be going to
▪
I was going to ~ you—I just didn't get around to it.
▪ try to
▪ hate to
▪
I hate to ~ you this but I've broken your phone.
▪ let sb
▪
I tried to ~ them but they wouldn't let me.
PREPOSITION
▪ about
▪
I told him about the money.
▪ of
▪
No one had told her of the dangers.
▪ to
▪
He told the story to all his friends.
2 order sb
ADVERB
▪ firmly , sternly
▪
‘Calm down,’ he told her firmly.
Tell is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑ Bible , ↑ clock , ↑ common sense , ↑ conscience , ↑ document , ↑ ear , ↑ email , ↑ expert , ↑ expression , ↑ eye , ↑ film , ↑ gauge , ↑ history , ↑ inscription , ↑ instinct , ↑ instruction , ↑ intuition , ↑ judge , ↑ letter , ↑ message , ↑ notice , ↑ sense , ↑ sign , ↑ source , ↑ statistics , ↑ strain
Tell is used with these nouns as the object: ↑ anecdote , ↑ briefing , ↑ court , ↑ difference , ↑ fib , ↑ fortune , ↑ gag , ↑ hearing , ↑ history , ↑ interviewer , ↑ joke , ↑ journalist , ↑ judge , ↑ juror , ↑ jury , ↑ legend , ↑ lie , ↑ news , ↑ news conference , ↑ police , ↑ press , ↑ press conference , ↑ reporter , ↑ secret , ↑ story , ↑ superior , ↑ tale , ↑ time , ↑ trial , ↑ tribunal , ↑ truth , ↑ viewer , ↑ way , ↑ world , ↑ yarn