blank tells

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "blank tells" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to refer to someone or something providing information or instructions, but it lacks context and clarity. Example: "The report blank tells us about the project's progress."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

He pulls a copy of "Mein Kampf" out of a plastic bag, mumbles something about Hitler and numbers, then, his face a blank, tells how he killed a friend and dismembered her body.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

The BLANK told his class that he had been BLANK fishing during the holiday.

The Guardian

A few hours later a W.U. messenger arrived with a printed blank telling him why the telegram had been undelivered.

The New Yorker

At the first stop, the van picked up an 11-year-old boy and Mr. Blank told him about the shift in plans.

The New York Times

Mr Blank told reporters after Trinity Mirror's AGM yesterday that "unless there was evidence to the contrary" the focus should be on investigating rogue elements within the armed forces and not the veracity of the photographs.

The Guardian

But on Monday night, Blank told reporters that he felt fortunate to have Petrino as his coach and that he was a better head coach than Blank had thought he would be, because of the circumstances he dealt with this season.

The New York Times - Sports

"I'm committed to the company and I think the leadership at the board level and Bob Nardelli will be fine," Blank told Reuters.

Forbes

"We relied a lot on recruiters and spent a lot of time trying to bring in the best people," Blank told me.

TechCrunch

Walters point blank told Heche she thought her marriage was going to fail.

Huffington Post

"I know that there are a lot of angry and a lot of very worried and a lot of very upset people," Blank told faculty members during one of several campus forums.

Los Angeles Times

Try using opened ended questions to invite conversation and use phrases like: I've noticed (fill in the blank), tell me what is going on and is there is anything you need?

HuffPost

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "blank tells" as it is grammatically incorrect. Instead, use verbs like "informs", "indicates", or "states" to ensure correct grammar and clarity.

Common error

The common mistake is using the base form of the verb "tell" after a noun or pronoun, leading to ungrammatical sentences. Always conjugate the verb correctly based on the subject. For example, instead of "the report tells", use "the report tells".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "blank tells" attempts to function as a verb phrase where the blank represents a subject providing information. However, it's grammatically incorrect because the verb "tells" requires proper conjugation based on its subject. As Ludwig AI indicates, this construction lacks proper grammar.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "blank tells" is grammatically incorrect. While it attempts to convey that an entity communicates information, it requires correction to adhere to standard English grammar. Ludwig AI highlights the grammatical issues. It's more appropriate to use alternatives like "blank informs", "blank indicates", or "blank states" depending on the intended meaning and context. Given the grammatical error, the phrase is infrequent and should be avoided in formal or professional writing. The analyzed sources, primarily from News & Media, underscore the importance of choosing grammatically sound alternatives to maintain clarity and credibility.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

blank informs

Replaces "tells" with "informs" maintaining a similar meaning but with correct grammar, implying a more formal communication.

blank indicates

Uses "indicates" instead of "tells", suggesting that the blank entity is a sign or signal, offering information indirectly.

blank states

Substitutes "tells" with "states", which is more appropriate when referring to a formal declaration or written statement.

blank reveals

Replaces "tells" with "reveals", implying the blank entity is making something known that was previously secret or not obvious.

blank communicates

Employs "communicates" instead of "tells", indicating a two-way exchange of information is possible, although not explicit.

blank describes

Uses "describes" instead of "tells", suggesting the subject is providing a detailed account.

blank explains

Replaces "tells" with "explains", implying that the blank is clarifying something that was not previously understood.

blank reports

Substitutes "tells" with "reports", suitable for formal and factual announcements.

blank signifies

Replaces "tells" with "signifies", where the entity in the blank is symbolic, acting as a representation of an idea or object.

blank suggests

Uses "suggests" instead of "tells", meaning to put forward for consideration.

FAQs

How can I correct the grammar of "blank tells"?

Replace "blank tells" with grammatically correct alternatives such as "blank informs", "blank indicates", or "blank states" to ensure proper sentence structure.

What's a more formal alternative to "blank tells"?

For formal contexts, consider using phrases like "blank communicates", "blank reports", or "blank elucidates" instead of "blank tells" to maintain a professional tone.

How does the meaning change when using "blank indicates" instead of "blank tells"?

While "blank tells" is incorrect, "blank indicates" suggests that the blank is a sign or signal, providing information indirectly, rather than directly communicating as the original phrase incorrectly implies.

In what situations is it appropriate to use "blank states"?

Using "blank states" is most appropriate when referring to a formal declaration, legal document, or written statement. It replaces the ungrammatical "blank tells" with a proper verb choice in formal scenarios.