Present vs Tell - What's the difference?
present | tell |
Relating to now, for the time being; current.
* , chapter=12
, title= Located in the immediate vicinity.
(obsolete) Having an immediate effect (of a medicine, poison etc.); fast-acting.
*, II.5.1.v:
(obsolete) Not delayed; immediate; instant.
* Shakespeare
* Massinger
(dated) Ready; quick in emergency.
(obsolete) Favorably attentive; propitious.
* Dryden
A gift, especially one given for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, graduations, weddings, or any other special occasions.
* , chapter=7
, title= (military) The position of a soldier in presenting arms.
To bring (someone) into the presence of (a person); to introduce formally.
To nominate (a member of the clergy) for an ecclesiastical benefice; to offer to the bishop or ordinary as a candidate for institution.
To offer (a problem, complaint) to a court or other authority for consideration.
* 1971 , , Religion and the Decline of Magic , Folio Society 2012, p. 71:
(reflexive) To come forward, appear in a particular place or before a particular person, especially formally.
* Bible, Job i. 6
To put (something) forward in order for it to be seen; to show, exhibit.
* Alexander Pope
To make clear to one's mind or intelligence; to put forward for consideration.
* 1927 , (Arthur Conan Doyle), The Case-book of Sherlock Holmes :
* {{quote-magazine, date=2012-01
, author=Steven Sloman
, title=The Battle Between Intuition and Deliberation
, volume=100, issue=1, page=74
, magazine=
To put on, stage (a play etc.).
(military) To point (a firearm) at something, to hold (a weapon) in a position ready to fire.
(reflexive) To offer oneself for mental consideration; to occur to the mind.
(medicine) To appear (in a specific way) for delivery (of a fetus); to appear first at the mouth of the uterus during childbirth.
(medicine) To come to the attention of medical staff, especially with a specific symptom.
To act as presenter on (a radio, television programme etc.).
To give a gift or presentation to (someone).
To give (a gift or presentation) to someone; to bestow.
* Cowper
To deliver (something abstract) as though as a gift; to offer.
To hand over (a bill etc.) to be paid.
(lb) To count, reckon, or enumerate.
:
*1590 , (Edmund Spenser), (The Faerie Queene) , II.vii:
*:And in his lap a masse of coyne he told , / And turned vpsidowne, to feede his eye / A couetous desire with his huge threasury.
*1875 , Hugh MacMillan, The Sunday Magazine :
*:Only He who made them can tell the number of the stars, and mark the place of each in the order of the one great dominant spiral.
(lb) To narrate.
:
*, chapter=7
, title= (lb) To convey by speech; to say.
:
*, chapter=4
, title= (lb) To instruct or inform.
:
*Bible, (w) xii. 18
*:Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
*
, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5
, passage=But Miss Thorn relieved the situation by laughing aloud,
(lb) To order; to direct, to say to someone.
:
*(Charles Dickens) (1812-1870)
*:He told her not to be frightened.
*'>citation
*:Stability was restored, but once the re-entry propulsion was activated, the crew was told to prepare to come home before the end of their only day in orbit.
(lb) To discern, notice, identify or distinguish.
:
*
*:Captain Edward Carlisle, soldier as he was, martinet as he was, felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, her alluring smile; he could not tell what this prisoner might do.
(lb) To reveal.
:
(lb) To be revealed.
*1990 , (Stephen Coonts), Under Siege, 1991 (Pocket Books) edition, ISBN 0671742949, p.409:
*:Cherry looks old, Mergenthaler told himself. His age is telling . Querulous — that's the word. He's become a whining, querulous old man absorbed with trivialities.
(lb) To have an effect, especially a noticeable one; to be apparent, to be demonstrated.
:
*1859 (John Stuart Mill), (On Liberty)
*:Opinion ought [… to give] merited honour to every one, whatever opinion he may holdkeeping nothing back which tells', or can be supposed to ' tell , in their favour.
*{{quote-news, year=2011, date=September 18, author=Ben Dirs, work=BBC Sport
, title= A reflexive, often habitual behavior, (especially) one occurring in a context that often features attempts at deception by persons under psychological stress (such as a poker game or police interrogation), that reveals information that the person exhibiting the behavior is attempting to withhold.
That which is told; tale; account.
* Walpole
(internet) A private message to an individual in a chat room; a whisper.
(archaeology) A mound, originally in the Middle East, over or consisting of the ruins of ancient settlements.
As nouns the difference between present and tell
is that present is present tense while tell is a reflexive, often habitual behavior, (especially) one occurring in a context that often features attempts at deception by persons under psychological stress (such as a poker game or police interrogation), that reveals information that the person exhibiting the behavior is attempting to withhold or tell can be (archaeology) a mound, originally in the middle east, over or consisting of the ruins of ancient settlements.As an adjective present
is present (that what''/''which is in the place talked about ).As a verb tell is
(lb) to count, reckon, or enumerate.present
English
Alternative forms
* (archaic or pedantic) *Etymology 1
(wikipedia present) From (etyl), from (etyl), from (etyl) praesent-, praesens present participle of .Adjective
(-)- The barbaric practice continues to the present day.
The Mirror and the Lamp, passage=All this was extraordinarily distasteful to Churchill. It was ugly, gross. Never before had he felt such repulsion when the vicar displayed his characteristic bluntness or coarseness of speech. In the present connexion […] such talk had been distressingly out of place.}}
- Amongst this number of cordials and alteratives I do not find a more present remedy than a cup of wine or strong drink, if it be soberly and opportunely used.
- a present pardon
- An ambassadordesires a present audience.
- a present wit
- to find a god so present to my prayer
Antonyms
* (in vicinity) absentDerived terms
* all present and correct * at present * at the present time * present company excepted * presently * present participle * present tenseDerived terms
* no time like the present * present-dayEtymology 2
From (etyl) presenten'', from (etyl) ''presenter'', from (etyl) ''presentare'' "to show", from (etyl) ''praesent-, praesens'' present participle of ''praeesse "to be in front of".Noun
(en noun)The Mirror and the Lamp, passage=“A very welcome, kind, useful present , that means to the parish. By the way, Hopkins, let this go no further. We don't want the tale running round that a rich person has arrived. Churchill, my dear fellow, we have such greedy sharks, and wolves in lamb's clothing. […]”}}
Verb
(en verb)- to present an envoy to the king
- In the diocese of Gloucester in 1548 two inhabitants of Slimbridge were presented for saying that holy oil was ‘of no virtue but meet to grease sheep’.
- Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the lord.
- So ladies in romance assist their knight, / Present the spear, and arm him for the fight.
- I do begin to realize that the matter must be presented in such a way as may interest the reader.
citation, passage=Libertarian paternalism is the view that, because the way options are presented' to citizens affects what they choose, society should ' present options in a way that “nudges” our intuitive selves to make choices that are more consistent with what our more deliberative selves would have chosen if they were in control.}}
- The theater is proud to present the Fearless Fliers.
- Well, one idea does present itself.
- The patient presented with insomnia.
- Anne Robinson presents "The Weakest Link".
- She was presented with an honorary degree for her services to entertainment.
- My last, least offering, I present thee now.
- I presented my compliments to Lady Featherstoneshaw.
Derived terms
* present armsStatistics
*External links
* * *tell
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) ((etyl) telja). More at tale.Verb
The Mirror and the Lamp, passage=“
Mr. Pratt's Patients, passage=I told him about everything I could think of; and what I couldn't think of he did. He asked about six questions during my yarn, but every question had a point to it. At the end he bowed and thanked me once more. As a thanker he was main-truck high; I never see anybody so polite.}}
Rugby World Cup 2011: England 41-10 Georgia, passage=But England's superior fitness told in the second half, with Delon Armitage, Manu Tuilagi and Chris Ashton (two) going over for tries to secure a bonus-point win.}}
Synonyms
* (enumerate) count * (narrate) narrate, recount, relateAntonyms
* (to instruct or inform) askDerived terms
* all told * tell against * tell all * tell-all * tell off * tell on * tell-tale / telltale * tell tales * tell tales out of school * tellerNoun
(en noun)- I am at the end of my tell .
