told me about

USAGE SUMMARY

"told me about" is a perfectly correct and usable part of a sentence in written English.
You can use it whenever you are referring to someone who has spoken to you about a certain topic or piece of information. For example, "My friend told me about a great new restaurant in town that I should try."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"He told me about her.

The New Yorker

He told me about Whiplash".

Independent

"And she told me about Mandi".

The New York Times - Sports

Then he told me about his.

The New Yorker

She told me about the binoculars".

The New Yorker

And he told me about Clementine.

The New York Times - Arts

Petrie told me about his own children.

The New Yorker

"They told me about restorative justice.

The New York Times - Magazine

He told me about better days.

The New Yorker

Adele told me about the mustache.

The New Yorker

And he told me about Lydda.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "told me about" when you want to indicate a direct communication where someone shared information with you. It's versatile and suitable for most contexts.

Common error

Ensure the context clearly indicates who "told" you. If the source isn't immediately obvious, clarify with a specific name or title to prevent confusion.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "told me about" functions as a reporting verb construction, indicating the act of conveying information from one person to another. Ludwig confirms the grammatical correctness and usability of the phrase.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

62%

Science

22%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Academia

5%

Wiki

2%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "told me about" is a common and grammatically sound phrase used to indicate that someone shared information with you directly. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is considered perfectly correct and usable. Its usage spans various contexts, primarily in news and media, science, and formal business settings, as demonstrated by Ludwig's examples. While it maintains a neutral register suitable for many situations, more formal alternatives may be preferred in certain academic or scientific contexts. It's crucial to ensure clarity regarding the source of information when using this phrase. Finally, many alternatives exist to "told me about", with slightly different semantic nuances: you can pick "mentioned to me" in order to convey a more casual tone, or "informed me of" if you want to sound more formal.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

informed me of

More formal and emphasizes the act of imparting information.

mentioned to me

Casual and implies a brief or passing reference.

let me know about

More casual and focuses on the act of making someone aware.

briefed me on

Implies a concise and informative explanation.

shared details regarding

More descriptive and emphasizes specific information.

filled me in on

Suggests providing missing or updated information.

recounted to me

Implies telling a story or series of events.

divulged information on

Suggests revealing something previously unknown or secret.

conveyed knowledge concerning

Formal and emphasizes the transmission of understanding.

gave me the lowdown on

Very informal, suggests providing essential or insider information.

FAQs

How can I use "told me about" in a sentence?

Use "told me about" to indicate that someone shared information with you through direct communication. For example, "My professor "told me about" a new research opportunity."

What are some alternatives to "told me about"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "informed me of", "let me know about", or "mentioned to me".

Is it grammatically correct to say "told to me about" instead of "told me about"?

No, "told to me about" is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrasing is ""told me about"".

What's the difference between "told me about" and "informed me of"?

"Told me about" is more casual and general, while ""informed me of"" is more formal and often implies a specific piece of information was conveyed.