2021-02-10 ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด T – Tell & inform

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2021-02-10

ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด T – Tell & inform

แนะนำการใช้ ตามที่ส่วนใหญ่ใช้ แต่ละท้องถิ่น

ความหมาย อาจผันแปร ตาม ตำแหน่ง/หน้าที่ ในประโยค

Dictionary.com

ออกเสียง Tell = ‘TEL’

ออกเสียง inform = ‘in-FAWRM’

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Choose the Right Synonym for tell

Verb

REVEAL, DISCLOSE, DIVULGE, TELL, BETRAY

mean to make known what has been or should be concealed.

REVEAL may apply to supernatural or inspired revelation of truths

beyond the range of ordinary human vision or reason.

divine will as revealed in sacred writings

DISCLOSE may imply a discovering but more often an imparting of information previously kept secret.

candidates must disclose their financial assets

DIVULGE implies a disclosure involving some impropriety or breach of confidence.

refused to divulge an anonymous source

TELL implies an imparting of necessary or useful information.

told them what he had overheard

BETRAY implies a divulging that represents a breach of faith or an involuntaryor unconscious disclosure.

a blush that betrayed her embarrassment

Choose the Right Synonym for inform

INFORM, ACQUAINT, APPRISE, NOTIFY

mean to make one aware of something.

INFORM implies the imparting of knowledge especially of facts or occurrences.

informed us of the crisis

ACQUAINT lays stress on introducing to or familiarizing with.

acquaint yourself with the keyboard

APPRISE implies communicating something of special interest or importance.

keep us apprised of the situation

NOTIFY implies sending notice of something requiring attention or demanding action.

notified the witness when to appear

Collins COBUILD English Usage

speak – say – tell

1. 'speak'

When you speak, you use your voice to produce words.

The past tense of speak is spoke.

The -ed participle is spoken.

They spoke very enthusiastically about their trip.

I've spoken to Raja and he agrees with me.

2. 'say'

Don't use 'speak' to report what someone says.

Don't say, for example, 'He spoke that the doctor had arrived'.

Say 'He said that the doctor had arrived'.

I said that I would like to teach English.

He said it was an accident.

3. 'tell'

If you mention the person who is being spoken to

as well as what was said, use tell.

He told me that he was a farmer.

I told her what the doctor had said.

See say, tell

4. 'talk'

See speak - talk

Collins COBUILD English Usage

tell

Tell is a common verb which is used in several different ways.

Its past form and -ed participle is told.

1. information

If someone tells you something,

they give you some information.

You usually refer to this information by using a that-clause or a wh-clause.

Tell Dad the electrician has come.

I told her what the doctor had said.

You can sometimes refer to the information that is given

by using a noun phrase as the direct object of tell.

When the direct object is not a pronoun,

you put the indirect object first.

She told him the news.

I never told her a thing.

When the direct object is a pronoun,

you usually put it first.

You put to in front of the indirect object.

I've never told this to anyone else in my whole life.

When you are referring back to information

that has already been mentioned,

you use so after tell.

For example,

you say 'I didn't agree with him and I told him so'.

Don't say 'I didn't agree with him and I told him it'.

She knows that I might be late. I have told her so.

'Then how do you know she's well?' – 'She told me so.'

2. stories, jokes, lies

You say that someone tells a story or a joke.

She told me the story of her life.

He's extremely funny when he tells a joke.

You can also say that someone makes or cracks a joke.

See joke

You say that someone tells a lie.

We told a lot of lies.

If someone is not lying, you say that they are telling the truth.

We knew that he was telling the truth.

I wondered why I hadn't told Mary the truth.

When you use tell to talk about stories, jokes, or lies,

the indirect object can go either after the direct object or in front of it.

His friend told me this story.

Many hours had passed when Karen finished telling her story to Kim.

3. orders

If you tell someone to do something,

you order or instruct them to do it.

When tell has this meaning, it is followed by an object and a to-infinitive.

Tell Martha to come to my office.

They told us to put on our seat-belts.

Be Careful!
Don't use tell like this without an object.

Don't say, for example, 'They told to put on our seat-belts'.

4. recognizing the truth

If you can tell what is happening or what is true,

you are able to judge correctly what is happening or what is true.

I can usually tell when someone's lying to me.

I couldn't tell what they were thinking.

When tell has this meaning,

you usually use can, could, or be able to with it.

5. 'inform'

Inform means the same as tell,

but it is more formal, and is used in slightly different ways.

You can inform someone of something,

or inform someone that something is the case.

The public is informed of the financial benefits that are available.

It was his duty to inform the king that his country was in danger.

In conversation and in less formal writing,

you usually use tell.

Collins COBUILD English Usage

inform

If you inform someone of something,

you tell them about it.

He intended to inform her of his objections.

Inform is often followed by a 'that'-clause.

I informed her that I was unwell.

She informed me that she had not changed her plans.

You do not usually omit that after inform.

You do not say, for example, 'I informed her I was unwell'.

Inform is a fairly formal word.

In conversation, you usually use tell.

See tell

Dictionary of Problem Words and Expressions

Tell & inform

Tell is the commonly used word

meaning “to narrate,” “to communicate,” “to recount,”

“To express with words”:

“Tell me a story.” Tell us what you did today.”

Mark Twain once wrote, “When in doubt, tell the truth.”

Inform conveys much the same meaning as tell,

but it is a more formal word for disclosing or imparting information,

often important or incriminating information:

“Please inform the police of your accident.”

“Were you informed about the search warrant for your house?”

See also DIVULGE.