tried to tell

New2grammarIf I [tried to tell/told] my friends, he would sexually abuse me.

Which is correct?
Thanks.

Tried to tell - but for some reason you didn't get the message across.

Told - you got your message across.

But why do you have "If" at the beginning. Are you saying the abuse would happen if you tried to tell/told your

optilangAre you saying the abuse would happen if you tried to tell/told your friends?

That's what the message is, isn't it?
This is not my sentence. I heard a girl say it on CNN.

optilangSeems a bit strange.

Why?

How would he know if she tried to tell her friends? Presumably the abuse was going on before - so what did she have to lose by trying to/telling her friends?

optilangHow would he know if she tried to tell her friends

Without if would the logic make sense?

Only if she was trying to warn people about the danger she was in.
When I first read it I didn't see the "If"

I read it as

"I tried to tell/told my friends that he would abuse me" - but she wasn't able to tell them or she told them but nothing was done (they didn't listen), and then the abuse occurred.

If he sensed that I tried to tell my friends, he would abuse me.

Is this better?