tell somebody to do sth =
动词不定式作宾语补足语用法
tell somebody something =双宾语动词用法
tell英 [tel] 美 [tɛl]
vt. 告诉，说；辨别；吩咐；讲述
vt.& vi. 分辨，辨别；告诉，吩咐；泄漏；保证
vi. 泄密，告发；（颜色、声音等）显示；识别
n. [
考古学]（古代村落遗址堆积而成的）台形土墩；[方言]讲的话；谈话；传闻
告诉； 说； 吩咐； 跟
复数：tells
过去式：told
过去分词：told
现在分词：telling
第三人称单数：tells
say, speak, state, talk, tell, utter
这些动词均有“说，讲”之意。
say： 最普通常用词，指用语言表达思想，着重所说的内容。
speak： 侧重于说话动作的本身，着重说话的能力而不在内容，可以是长篇大论的演讲，也可以是三言两语的交谈，甚至指简单的开口发声说话。
state： 较正式用词，通常指用明确的语言或文字着重地叙述事实，既强调内容又注重语气。
talk： 普通用词，侧重指与人交谈时的连续说话，可指单方面较长谈话，和speak一样，着重说活动作而不侧重内容。
tell： 普通用词，指把某事告诉或讲述给某人听，口语或书面语均可用。
utter： 着重说话的行为，常指声音的使用，突出用噪子发声。
1.He adjured them to tell the truth.
他要求他们讲真话。
2. a congenital inability to tell the truth
生就的不会说实话
3. Now tell me the truth: I don't want any more of your fairy stories.
现在跟我说实话：我不想再听你胡编乱诌了。
4. You could tell she was foreign by the way she dressed.
从她的穿着就可以看出她是外国人。
5. You've really intrigued me—tell me more!
你说的真有意思—再给我讲一些吧！
6. I can't tell jokes .
我不会讲笑话。
7. I'll contact them soon. Meantime don't tell them I'm back.
我会尽快和他们联系。在此期间，不要告诉他们我回来了。
8. I don't want to be a nuisance so tell me if you want to be alone.
我不想讨人嫌，你要是想一个人待着就说一声。
9. It didn't take much persuasion to get her to tell us where he was.
我们没费什么口舌就让她说出了他的下落。
10. You can't tell her that joke—she's much too prim and proper .
你可别跟她讲那个笑话，她这个人古板正经得要命。
11. How can you tell what sex a fish is?
你怎样辨别一条鱼的雌雄？
12. Tell them the news.
把这消息告诉他们。
13. I didn't have the heart to tell him the news.
我没有勇气把这消息告诉他。
14. It's not your place to tell me how to do my job.
你没有义务教训我怎样干。
15. Only the real connoisseur could tell the difference between these two wines.
只有真正的内行才能指出这两种酒的区别。
16. He tried to tell me a lie about losing his wallet.
他试图使我相信他丢失了钱夹的谎言。
17. He was very honest to tell me his story.
他十分坦率地给我讲了他的故事。
18. I don't see (it) good to tell you all my plans.
我认为把我的计划都告诉你是不合适的。
19. The fall of one leaf is enough to tell coming of autumn.
一叶知秋。
20. Tell me if you get tired of driving and we'll change over.
如果你开车累了，请告诉我，我们可以换一下位置。