tell

Question

We often do not say "tell to me", but "tell me".Can we use "telI to me" in the passive voice ?For ex: No story was told to me by the old man. orNo story was told me by the old man.Which is correct?

Dave Sparrow · Accepted Answer

'tell' means 'say to somebody'.  'No story was told me by the old man' would be ok, but when you speak, I think ' The old man didn't tell me anything' or 'I've heard nothing/no story from the old man' would make sense. Are you doing some writing exercise?

Intiqam88 · Answer

Yes, I am doing a writing exercise. And I want to know if this sentence true or false. (No story was told to me by the old man.)

Cool Breeze · Answer

intiqam88For ex: No story was told to me by the old man. orNo story was told me by the old man.Which is correct?

Both are grammatically acceptable but there are more fluent ways to express the idea. Give is perhaps the most common verb with which to is optional in the passive voice in sentences like yours: No money was given [to] me. In this particular sentence most people would probably use to because the sentence is so short.

In the active voice you would say: He has given me money.

CB

Dave Sparrow · Answer

That sentence is false, if you ask. haha, I used to do these nonsense exercises too. In the real world, I think no one would speak or write that way. Where're ya from, intiqam88?

Intiqam88 · Answer

I am from Baku, Azerbaijan. Do you know Azerbaijan?

Dave Sparrow · Answer

Yes, I mostly heard about the huge development of petroleum industry in Azerbaijan. Recently seen some Battlefield 4: Fishing in Baku videos, but I didn't know which country Baku belonged to until you tell me.

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