Tell + object

Hi,

I'd like to tell you in a few words about the (great) progress that my team has made since our first meeting.

Regards

Are the first two sentences totally incorrect or just not very natural? Of course sentence two should read

i'd like to tell a few words about the progress my team has made since our first meeting

thank you in advance

D.

AnonymousAre the first two sentences totally incorrect or just not very natural?

Hi,

This sentence is almost grammatical. Note that the verb tell in this sense is transitive, that is,

you must have an object that follows it. Likewise, you didn't use capitalization and correct punctuation.

Further, the phrase a few words

Anonymousi'd like to tell you all a few words about ...

tell words doesn't work. What you tell has to have narrative content. tell a story, tell a joke, tell someone that ..., etc. You say words; you don't tell them. To my ear it's one of these:

I'd like to say a few words about ...

OR

I'd like to tell

CalifJimtell words doesn't work. What you tell has to have narrative content. tell a story, tell a joke, tell someone that ..., etc. You say words; you don't tell them.CJ

Hi,

But you can tell somebody about the film you saw. And you can tell somebody about the ingredients

of this soup in a few words.

Regards

CJ

Hi,

CJ, what do you say? Really.

Regards

You seem to be disagreeing with my claim that "you don't tell words", but your examples had nothing to do with that issue. It's a puzzle.

CJ

CalifJimYou seem to be disagreeing with my claim that "you don't tell words", but your examples had nothing to do with that issue. It's a puzzle.CJ

Hi,

I don't disagree with your claim at all. It is a misunderstanding.

OK.

CJ