Tell example sentences
Related (13): say, speak, communicate, inform, reveal, disclose, confess, narrate, explain, announce, express, utter, mention
"Tell" Example Sentences
Common Phrases
- tell the truth
- tell a story
- tell the difference
- tell someone off
- tell time
- tell a lie
- tell tales
- tell me more
- I can tell
- tell it like it is
- tell someone to do something
- all told
Examples by Level
A1
- Tell me your name.
- Can you tell the time?
A2
- I want to tell you about my day at school.
- She wanted to tell me she was tired and wanted to go home.
B1
- Looking back, I wish someone could tell me how to handle rejection.
- You can tell by the way he speaks that English isn't his first language.
B2
- The documentary tells the story of a woman who escaped a cult and rebuilt her life.
- I can tell you're anxious about the interview, but you're going to do fine.
C1
- The patterns in the data tell a more nuanced story than the initial analysis suggested.
- She had learned long ago not to tell people what she really thought — it was safer that way.
C2
- What the statistics fail to tell us is how these policies actually affect the people living under them.
- There's something almost cruel about the way time tells on a face — every choice, every worry, written there for anyone to read.
Examples by Scenario
🏠 Everyday Life
- My kid asked me to tell him a bedtime story, and I made up something ridiculous about a talking potato.
- I can tell it's going to rain just by the way the air feels.
💼 Workplace
- My manager pulled me aside to tell me I'm getting promoted, and I nearly fell out of my chair.
- Don't tell anyone, but I'm pretty sure they're planning layoffs next month.
📊 Business
- The quarterly report will tell investors whether we're on track or heading for trouble.
- Our market research tells us that customers want faster shipping more than they want lower prices.
🛒 Buying / Shopping
- The label doesn't tell you how much fabric is actually in the package.
- I can tell this jacket is good quality just by feeling the material.
✈️ Travel
- The tour guide wanted to tell us the building was over 500 years old and supposedly haunted.
- The hotel receptionist wouldn't tell me where the best local restaurants were — not helpful.
📚 Education
- The teacher came to tell us we'd have a pop quiz, and half the class groaned.
- My son came home to tell me he got picked for the school play — he was so excited.
❤️ Relationships
- I finally had to tell him I didn't want to get married, and it broke both our hearts.
- She wanted to tell me she'd been in love with me for years, and I didn't know what to say.
📰 News / Politics
- The investigation tells a story of corruption at the highest levels of government.
- Officials came to tell reporters they had no comment on the allegations.
💻 Technology
- The app tells you when your friends are nearby, which is either convenient or creepy depending on who you ask.
- The AI couldn't tell the difference between the real painting and the forgery.
📝 Formal Writing
- The research tells us that early intervention significantly improves long-term outcomes.
- The historical record tells a different version of events than the popular narrative.