“Tell” is one of the most fundamental verbs in English, essential for sharing information, narrating stories, giving instructions, and expressing feelings. Because “tell” is an irregular verb, mastering its past tense forms is crucial for clear, accurate communication, especially when talking about completed actions, recounting past events, or reporting speech.
Whether you are an English learner at any level, a teacher seeking comprehensive material, or an advanced student refining your skills, understanding how to use “tell” in the past tense helps you build grammatically correct sentences and avoid common errors. This extensive guide offers in-depth explanations, plentiful examples, comparison tables, and graded practice exercises to help you confidently use “tell” in all its past forms.
Let’s embark on this journey to master every aspect of the past tense of “tell.”
Table of Contents
- 3. DEFINITION SECTION: What Is the Past Tense of “Tell”?
- 4. STRUCTURAL BREAKDOWN: Forms and Patterns of “Tell” in the Past
- 5. TYPES OR CATEGORIES: Variations of Past Usage with “Tell”
- 6. EXAMPLES SECTION: Extensive Usage Examples of “Tell” in the Past
- 7. USAGE RULES: How to Properly Use “Told” in Past Tense
- 8. COMMON MISTAKES: Frequent Errors with Past Tense of “Tell”
- 9. PRACTICE EXERCISES
- 10. ADVANCED TOPICS: Nuanced Uses of “Tell” in the Past Tense
- 11. FAQ SECTION
- 12. CONCLUSION
3. DEFINITION SECTION: What Is the Past Tense of “Tell”?
3.1. Grammatical Classification of “Tell”
“Tell” is an irregular, transitive verb. It requires an object, usually a person, to receive the information.
Its primary meanings include:
- To give information or communicate: Tell me your name.
- To narrate or recount: He tells great stories.
- To instruct or order: She told him to be quiet.
- To express or reveal: You can tell he’s nervous.
Verbs change form to indicate tense, which shows the time of action. The past tense expresses actions that happened before now.
3.2. Past Tense in English Grammar
The past simple tense describes an action completed entirely in the past, often with a specific time.
The past participle is used with auxiliary verbs (like “have” or “had”) to form perfect tenses or passive voice.
Example difference:
- Past simple: She told me yesterday.
- Past participle: She has told me already.
3.3. The Past Forms of “Tell”
“Tell” is an irregular verb, so it does not simply add “-ed” in the past. Instead, its forms are:
- Past simple: told
- Past participle: told
Initial examples:
- I told her yesterday.
- He has told me the story before.
4. STRUCTURAL BREAKDOWN: Forms and Patterns of “Tell” in the Past
4.1. Base Form, Past Simple, and Past Participle
| Base Form | Past Simple | Past Participle | Present Participle | Third Person Singular |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tell | told | told | telling | tells |
4.2. Affirmative Sentences Using “Told”
Structure: Subject + told + object (+ rest of sentence)
- She told the truth.
- We told them about the meeting.
- I told my friend the secret.
4.3. Negative Sentences in Past Simple
Use did not (didn’t) + base form “tell”. Never use “told” in negatives.
- They didn’t tell me.
- He did not tell anyone.
- We didn’t tell the teacher.
4.4. Questions in Past Simple
Use Did + subject + tell + object?
- Did you tell her?
- Did they tell the truth?
- Did he tell you about the plan?
4.5. Past Continuous Involving “Tell”
Formed with was/were + telling, indicating an ongoing past action.
- She was telling a story when I arrived.
- They were telling jokes all night.
- I was telling him about my trip.
4.6. Past Perfect with “Tell”
Formed with had + told, showing an action completed before another past action.
- They had told us before the meeting started.
- She had told me before you arrived.
- By the time I came, he had told everyone.
5. TYPES OR CATEGORIES: Variations of Past Usage with “Tell”
5.1. Simple Past (“told”)
Use for completed, specific actions in the past.
- I told him yesterday.
- She told us last night.
- They told the manager two days ago.
5.2. Past Continuous (“was/were telling”)
Describes an ongoing or interrupted action in the past.
- He was telling a joke when the phone rang.
- They were telling stories all evening.
5.3. Past Perfect (“had told”)
Shows an action completed before another past event.
- By the time I arrived, she had told everyone.
- We had told them before the announcement.
5.4. Passive Voice in the Past
Focuses on the receiver of the information.
Form: was/were + told
- They were told to wait outside.
- He was told the rules.
- We were told about the change.
5.5. Indirect (Reported) Speech with Past Tense of “Tell”
Use “told” to introduce reported (indirect) speech.
- He told me that he was busy.
- She told us that the class was canceled.
- They told their friends that they would move.
6. EXAMPLES SECTION: Extensive Usage Examples of “Tell” in the Past
6.1. Basic Affirmative Examples
- She told me a secret.
- We told them the news.
- They told the story perfectly.
- I told my parents about the trip.
- He told a funny joke.
- You told her the answer.
- My teacher told me something important.
- The doctor told me to rest.
- She told her brother to be quiet.
- They told everyone the good news.
6.2. Negative Form Examples
- He didn’t tell anyone.
- I did not tell the teacher.
- We didn’t tell you because we forgot.
- They did not tell me the reason.
- She didn’t tell her parents.
6.3. Interrogative Examples
- Did you tell your parents?
- Did they tell the truth?
- Did he tell you what happened?
- Did we tell them about the change?
- Did she tell him her secret?
6.4. Past Continuous Examples
- I was telling him about my trip.
- They were telling jokes all night.
- She was telling a story when I entered.
- We were telling each other our plans.
- He was telling his children a bedtime story.
6.5. Past Perfect Examples
- She had told me before you arrived.
- They had already told us everything.
- By the time I called, he had told her.
- We had told the manager before the meeting.
- He had told the truth before anyone asked.
6.6. Passive Voice Examples
- We were told to come early.
- He was told the rules.
- They were told about the event.
- I was told to wait here.
- The children were told to be quiet.
6.7. Reported Speech Examples
- She told me that she liked the movie.
- He told us that he would be late.
- They told their friends that they were moving.
- My father told me that it would rain.
- The teacher told the class that the exam was postponed.
6.8. Example Tables
Table 1: Affirmative / Negative / Question forms
| Affirmative | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|
| I told her. | I didn’t tell her. | Did I tell her? |
| They told me. | They did not tell me. | Did they tell me? |
| She told us. | She didn’t tell us. | Did she tell us? |
Table 2: Past continuous vs. past perfect
| Past Continuous | Past Perfect |
|---|---|
| He was telling a story. | He had told the story. |
| They were telling jokes. | They had told their secret. |
Table 3: Active vs. Passive voice examples
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| She told me the truth. | I was told the truth. |
| They told the children a story. | The children were told a story. |
| He told us the news. | We were told the news. |
Table 4: Direct vs. Reported Speech
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech |
|---|---|
| She said, “I am tired.” | She told me that she was tired. |
| He said, “I will call you.” | He told me he would call me. |
Table 5: Time expressions with Past Tense of “Tell”
| Time Expression | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| yesterday | She told me yesterday. |
| last night | They told us last night. |
| two days ago | I told him two days ago. |
| before | He had told her before. |
| when | She was telling the story when I arrived. |
7. USAGE RULES: How to Properly Use “Told” in Past Tense
7.1. When to Use “Told” Instead of “Said”
Use “tell” when you mention who received the information (an object person). Do NOT use “tell” without an object person.
- Correct: She told me the news.
- Incorrect: She told the news. (missing person)
- Correct: She said the news. (less common, but possible)
Table: “Tell” vs. “Say”
| Tell | Say |
|---|---|
| Requires an object person | Does not require an object person |
| She told me the story. | She said she was tired. |
| He told his friend the truth. | He said, “I’m sorry.” |
7.2. Using “Tell” with Indirect Objects
Structure: tell + someone + (something)
- He told his friend the story.
- She told me the answer.
- They told us the rules.
7.3. Avoiding “Told” in Negative and Question Forms
Use base form “tell” after did/didn’t
- Correct: She didn’t tell me.
- Incorrect: She didn’t told me.
- Correct: Did he tell you?
- Incorrect: Did he told you?
7.4. Common Time Expressions with Past “Tell”
Past actions are often connected with time words:
- yesterday
- last week/month/year
- two days ago
- when
- before
Examples:
- They told us last night.
- She told me two weeks ago.
7.5. Pronoun and Object Placement
Place object pronouns immediately after “told”.
- She told me the truth.
- He told us the story.
- They told her about the plan.
7.6. Special Cases and Idiomatic Expressions
Common idioms with “tell”:
- told off (scolded) – She told off the rude customer.
- told on (reported someone’s wrongdoing) – He told on his brother.
- told a lie / story / joke – She told a funny joke.
- told the difference – I couldn’t tell the difference.
8. COMMON MISTAKES: Frequent Errors with Past Tense of “Tell”
8.1. Using “told” Instead of “tell” After “Did”
- Incorrect: Did you told her?
- Correct: Did you tell her?
8.2. Confusing “Tell” and “Say”
- Incorrect: She told that she was tired.
- Correct: She said that she was tired. OR She told me that she was tired.
8.3. Incorrect Object Usage
- Incorrect: She told the story. (missing person in context where person is needed)
- Correct: She told us the story.
8.4. Wrong Verb Form in Passive
- Incorrect: They was told.
- Correct: They were told.
8.5. Misusing Past Continuous and Past Perfect
- Incorrect: She was told the news before he arrived. (unclear meaning)
- Correct: She had told the news before he arrived. (active) OR She was told the news before he arrived. (passive, correct if meaning is she received the news)
8.6. Omitting Necessary Objects
- Incorrect: He told about the plan.
- Correct: He told me about the plan.
8.7. Table: Common Mistakes and Corrections
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| Did you told her? | Did you tell her? |
| She didn’t told me. | She didn’t tell me. |
| She told that she was tired. | She told me that she was tired. |
| They was told. | They were told. |
| He told about the plan. | He told me about the plan. |
| She told the story. (missing person) | She told us the story. |
9. PRACTICE EXERCISES
9.1. Fill-in-the-Blank
- She ____ (tell) me the news yesterday.
- Did he ____ (tell) the truth?
- They ____ (not tell) us about the change.
- We ____ (tell) you the story last week.
- He ____ (not tell) anyone his secret.
9.2. Error Correction
- She didn’t told me anything.
- Did you told him?
- He told that he was tired.
- They was told to wait.
- She told about the plan.
9.3. Identify the Verb Form
Underline the past tense form(s) of “tell”:
- They had told us everything.
- Were you telling the truth?
- He told me a funny story.
- She was telling the class a story.
- I didn’t tell her.
9.4. Sentence Construction
Create past simple affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences with the prompts:
- (she / tell / story)
- (they / not / tell / secret)
- (you / tell / him)
- (we / not / tell / parents)
- (he / tell / joke)
9.5. Answer Key
9.1. Fill-in-the-Blank Answers
- told
- tell
- did not (didn’t) tell
- told
- did not (didn’t) tell
9.2. Error Correction Answers
- She didn’t tell me anything.
- Did you tell him?
- He told me that he was tired.
- They were told to wait.
- She told me about the plan.
9.3. Identify Form
- had told (past perfect)
- telling (past continuous)
- told (simple past)
- was telling (past continuous)
- tell (base form after “didn’t”)
9.4. Sentence Construction Examples
- Affirmative: She told a story.
Negative: She didn’t tell a story.
Question: Did she tell a story? - Affirmative: They told the secret.
Negative: They didn’t tell the secret.
Question: Did they tell the secret? - Affirmative: You told him.
Negative: You didn’t tell him.
Question: Did you tell him? - Affirmative: We told our parents.
Negative: We didn’t tell our parents.
Question: Did we tell our parents? - Affirmative: He told a joke.
Negative: He didn’t tell a joke.
Question: Did he tell a joke?
10. ADVANCED TOPICS: Nuanced Uses of “Tell” in the Past Tense
10.1. “Tell” in Complex Reported Speech
When reporting speech, verb tenses often shift back:
- He told me, “I finished the work.” → He told me he had finished the work.
- She told us, “They are coming.” → She told us they were coming.
10.2. Idiomatic Expressions in Past Tense
- told off (scolded): She told him off yesterday.
- told on (reported): I was told on by my brother.
- told apart (distinguished): They couldn’t be told apart.
- told the difference: She told the difference immediately.
10.3. Differences Between “Told” and “Had Told”
“Told” = simple past, completed action.
“Had told” = completed before another past action.
Example timeline:
- She had told him before he left.
- She told him when he arrived.
10.4. Past Passive Constructions with Modals
Use modal + have been told.
- They should have been told earlier.
- He could have been told the truth.
- We might have been told about the delay.
10.5. Using “Tell” in Narrative Past
Writers often use “told” to narrate:
- She told him about her childhood, describing every detail.
- He told the audience a story they would never forget.
- Once upon a time, a traveler told tales of distant lands.
11. FAQ SECTION
- What is the past tense of “tell”?
The past tense of “tell” is “told”. - Is “told” both the past simple and past participle of “tell”?
Yes, “told” functions as both the past simple and the past participle. - Why do we say “didn’t tell” instead of “didn’t told”?
After “did” or “didn’t,” use the base form “tell”, not “told.” - How do I know when to use “tell” versus “say”?
Use “tell” when you mention who is being spoken to. Use “say” when focusing only on the words, with or without a listener. - Can “told” be used without an object?
Usually no; “tell” needs a person (object). Without it, use “say.” - How do I form questions with “tell” in the past tense?
Use Did + subject + tell + object? (e.g., Did you tell her?) - What is the difference between “was telling” and “had told”?
“Was telling” = ongoing past action. “Had told” = completed before another past action. - How do I use “tell” in reported speech?
Use “told” + object + clause. (e.g., She told me that she was tired.) - What are some idioms with “tell” in the past tense?
“told off,” “told on,” “told apart,” “told the difference,” “told a lie/story/joke.” - When is “were told” used?
In the past passive voice to show someone received information. (e.g., They were told to wait.) - Can “tell” be used in the past perfect continuous?
Yes: She had been telling him about it. - What are common mistakes when using the past tense of “tell”?
Using “told” after “did,” confusing “tell” and “say,” omitting the object, and wrong passive forms.
12. CONCLUSION
To summarize, “tell” is an irregular verb with “told” as its past simple and past participle form. Mastery involves understanding how to form affirmative, negative, and question sentences, as well as how to use passive voice and reported speech correctly.
Be mindful of common mistakes, such as using “told” after “did” or confusing “tell” with “say.” Practice with the examples and exercises provided to reinforce these concepts.
Apply these forms confidently in your writing and speaking. A strong command of the past tense of “tell” will improve your overall English fluency, clarity, and accuracy.
Keep practicing—and soon, you’ll be able to tell your stories perfectly in the past tense!