Tell past tense: told, told
communicate, narrate
Tell is an irregular English verb: the past simple of tell is told and the past participle is told. Learn the three forms together — tell – told – told.
Verb forms
Base form
/tel/
Past Simple
/təʊld/
Past Participle
/təʊld/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · tell
Parents tell their children bedtime stories.
Past Simple · told
He told us a fascinating story about his travels.
Past Participle · told
I have told you this a hundred times.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I tell he / she / it tells | I told | I have told |
| Present Continuous:I am telling · he / she / it is telling | ||
Common collocations
tell the truth
to say what is true
tell apart
to distinguish one from another
tell a story
to narrate something
Grammar guide
Tell belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (told). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.
- Past simple – told: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – told: after have, has or had (present perfect, past perfect) and after be in the passive voice.
- Questions and negatives in the past simple use did + the base form: Did you tell…? I didn’t tell.
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about tell
- What is the past simple of tell?
- The past simple of tell is told.
- What is the past participle of tell?
- The past participle of tell is told.
- What are the three forms of tell?
- The three forms are tell – told – told: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is tell a regular or an irregular verb?
- Tell is irregular: its past simple is told, not telled.