You hear “tell” every day. Right? You tell stories. You tell the truth. You tell secrets to friends. Teachers tell lessons. Parents tell rules. We all use this word. Like, all the time!
But wait. What about yesterday? What about stuff that already happened? Someone said something last week? That’s where the past form comes in.
So what’s the past form of tell?
Easy answer. It’s told.
Tell → Told
This blog helps you get it. The meaning of tell. How to use told, questions, negatives, common mistakes, examples, tables and practice talks. Everything! And guess what? It’s all in super easy English. You’ll get it fast.
Let’s go!
What Does Tell Mean
The verb “tell” means to give info to someone. You use it when you talk to a person. Or a group. Tell always needs a listener. You tell something to someone.
Here’s what tell means:
To give info
Example: I tell my friend the news.
To give orders
Example: The teacher tells us to open books.
To report stuff
Example: She tells me she’s tired.
To command
Example: Mom tells me to clean up.
To share stories
Example: Grandpa tells stories at night.
Tell always needs a person. You can’t just “tell something.” Nope. You tell someone something.
Example: She tells her sister the truth.
Tell Past Form: Told
The past form of tell? It’s told.
Tell → Told
Use told for stuff that happened before. Yesterday. Last week. A year ago. One hour back. Anything done already.
Examples:
- She told me to come early.
- I told him the answer.
Table: Tell Forms
Here’s a simple table. Check out all forms of tell.
| Tense | Form | Example |
| Base form | tell | I tell my friend everything. |
| Past form | told | I told my friend everything. |
| Past participle | told | I have told him many times. |
| Present participle | telling | She is telling a story. |
Look! The past form and past participle? Same word: told.
Direct and Indirect Speech with Told
Told shows up a lot in reported speech. Like, a lot!
Examples:
- They said, “We cannot help.”
They told me that they could not help.
Use told when there’s a listener. And you’re reporting what someone said.
Tell vs Say
People mix up tell and say. They’re different! Look:
| Word | Use | Example |
| say | for words spoken, no listener needed | She said she was happy. |
| tell | when speaking to someone, needs listener | She told me she was happy. |
Tell always has a person. Say it doesn’t.
More Examples of Told
Let’s see simple sentences.
- I told them to wait.
- She told me she lost her bag.
- They told the police everything.
- The guide told us about history.
- She told the truth finally.
- I told him the directions.
Common Mistakes
Here’s what people get wrong. And how to fix it.
| Wrong | Right |
| He told that he is busy. | He told me that he is busy. |
| She did not told me. | She did not tell me. |
| Did you told him? | Did you tell him? |
| I tell him yesterday | I told him yesterday |
| They told to me | They told me |
Remember these. You won’t mess up!
Told Used with Objects and Clauses
You can tell someone something. Different ways:
Object + info
- I told him the answer.
Clause
- I told him that I was busy.
Tell with infinitive
- She told me to help her.
Practice Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks. Use tell or told.
- I ______ her everything.
- She did not ______ me anything.
- Who did he ______ yesterday?
- They ______ me to sit down.
- Did you ______ the truth?
- I ______ him to call you.
- Please ______ me the story again.
- She ______ her sister about the exam.
Answers:
- told
- tell
- tell
- told
- tell
- told
- tell
- told
Practice Exercise 2
Pick the right one.
- She told or said me to study.
Right answer: She told me to study.
- Did he tell or told you?
Right answer: Did he tell you?
- They told or tell us the time.
Right answer: They told us the time.
- I told or tell him yesterday.
Right answer: I told him yesterday.
Sentences Using Tell and Told
Here’s more to help you get it.
- I tell him everything.
- I told him everything yesterday.
- They tell the teacher about problems.
- They told the teacher last week.
- She tells stories to children.
- She told stories when she visited.
- We tell the truth.
- We told the truth in the meeting.
Also Read: Preply Tutor: Easy Guide for New Learners and Teachers
Tell in Different Tenses
Quick chart time!
| Tense | Form | Example |
| Present | tell | I tell the truth. |
| Past | told | I told the truth. |
| Present perfect | have told | I have told you many times. |
| Past perfect | had told | I had told him before. |
| Future | will tell | I will tell you tomorrow. |
| Future perfect | will have told | I will have told them by evening. |
Real Life Use
You use told when:
- Your teacher gave orders.
- A doctor gave advice.
- Your friend shared secrets.
- Your parents warned you.
- Someone gave directions.
- You reported it to the police.
- You remembered old talks.
Short Story Using Told
Here’s a little story with told.
Yesterday my friend told me something cool. He found a puppy! Near his house! He told his parents about it. They told him to feed the puppy. And wait for the owner. Later, the owner came. He told everyone thank you. My friend told me the whole story again at school. So cute! And funny too!
Summary
Here’s everything. Short and sweet.
- Tell means to give info to someone.
- The past form of tell is told.
- You tell someone something.
- Negative uses “did not tell.”
- Questions use “did you tell.”
- Told always needs a listener.
- Don’t mix up tell with say.
The word “tell” is simple. Really! Once you know how it works. The past form “told”? Use it for past talks. Now you know how to use it. How to avoid mistakes. How to speak correctly.
Practice a bit each day. Use told for yesterday stuff. Past events. Soon your English will sound natural. And clear!