Past Tense of Tell
“Tell” is irregular: its simple past and past participle are both “told.” The standard principal forms are tell, told, told.
Use “told” for both the simple past and the past participle of “tell.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| completed past act of telling | told | Use “told” as the simple past. |
| perfect construction after have/has/had | told | Use “told” as the past participle. |
| present/base form | tell / tells | Keep the present form when the sentence is not using a past form. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Do you need the simple past or past participle of “tell”?
If yes: Use “told.”
If no: Use “tell” or “tells” in a present-tense context.
Examples
She told me the news yesterday.
“Told” is the simple past.
They have told us what happened.
“Told” is the past participle after “have.”
He tells the same story every year.
The habitual present uses “tells.”
Further guidance
Core difference
The simple past of “tell” is “told,” and the past participle is also “told.”
Fast Test
Use “told” for a completed past action and after have/has/had: “she told us”; “she has told us.”
Usage Boundary
Do not form the standard past or participle as “telled.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- told — Cambridge English Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Told as both the simple past and past participle of tell