it may told

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it may told" is not correct in English.
The correct form would be "it may be told." Example: "The story may be told in various ways, depending on the audience."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

It's just part of life … so it's a case of head down and getting on with it," May told the Mail on Sunday.

The Guardian

"Brexit means Brexit, and we're going to make a success of it," May told backers outside Parliament.

Los Angeles Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

A free press is their natural enemy, because sooner or later, it may tell people what is going on.

The New Yorker

"It may tell you there's more than one person involved, or that the explosions were initiated remotely," he said.

The New Yorker

Seesawing between bigness and intimacy, the personal and the communal, it may tell you more about Canada's identity crisis than it does about Canadian art.

The New York Times - Arts

Sorry, it may tell us something: Who would carry Florida in the fantasy Generic-Rubio versus Obama-Clinton election that will never happen.

The New York Times

A free press is their natural enemy, because sooner or later, one way or another, it may tell people what is going on.

The New Yorker

The relevance of a running mate choice, he said, was that it "may tell the American people something more about the two major candidates".

The New York Times

"The government may no more restrict how many candidates or causes a donor may support than it may tell a newspaper how many candidates it may endorse," wrote Chief Justice John Roberts.

The Economist

This would be a disastrous course because we have little idea of how genetic science is going to develop and what it may tell the authorities about every individual in the future.

The Guardian - Opinion

For most people, exposing your private life won't pose a security risk, but it may tell current or potential employers more about you than you want them to know.

The Guardian - Money

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When you intend to express possibility and narration, use the grammatically correct form: "it may be told". For example, "The story of the lost city may be told in different ways."

Common error

Ensure that modal verbs like "may" are followed by "be" when using passive voice. The correct structure is "may be" + past participle, not "may" + past participle directly. For instance, avoid "it may told"; instead, use "it may be told".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it may told" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "it may be told", which functions as a passive construction expressing possibility. Ludwig AI confirms the error.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "it may told" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "it may be told", which expresses the possibility of something being narrated. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, "it may told" does not conform to standard English grammar. Instead, use alternatives like "it might be stated" or "it could be mentioned" for grammatically sound expressions. The absence of valid examples emphasizes the importance of using "it may be told" or similar constructions for accurate communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it may be said

Transforms the phrase to passive voice with the auxiliary verb "be", correcting the grammatical structure.

it might be stated

Replaces "may" with "might" for a softer possibility and uses the passive voice "be stated" for grammatical accuracy.

it could be mentioned

Substitutes "may" with "could" suggesting a hypothetical possibility, while "be mentioned" corrects the grammar.

it can be narrated

Uses "can" to denote possibility and "be narrated" to ensure the phrase is grammatically sound.

it is possible to say

Rephrases to emphasize possibility using "it is possible" followed by a grammatically correct infinitive phrase.

one might recount

Shifts the subject to "one" to create a more formal tone while maintaining grammatical accuracy.

the story might unfold

Employs "the story" as subject and "might unfold" to convey a narrative development.

it is conceivable that

Introduces "it is conceivable that" for emphasis on possibility, followed by a complete clause.

we can infer

Changes to an active voice construction, suggesting a deduction or conclusion.

time will reveal

Uses "time" as the subject, indicating that the passage of time will make something known.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "it may told"?

The correct way to phrase this is "it may be told". The modal verb "may" requires the auxiliary verb "be" before a past participle in the passive voice.

How can I rephrase "it may told" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, consider using "it might be stated" or "it could be mentioned".

What does "it may be told" mean?

"It may be told" indicates that something has the possibility of being narrated or recounted. It suggests a potential for a story or information to be shared.

Are there alternatives to using "it may be told" in a sentence?

Yes, you can use alternatives such as "it can be narrated", "one might recount", or "the story might unfold" depending on the context.