We tell each other things all the time, whether it’s our news, some important information or just interesting facts. This week we’re focusing on the language that we use to describe giving information.
Starting with a really useful phrasal verb, if you pass on a message or a piece of news that someone has told you, you tell it to someone else:
Remember to pass on my message to Ted.
No one passed the news on to me.
The verb relay means the same: He heard the announcement and immediately relayed the news to his colleagues.
Sometimes we pass on information to lots of people. The verb spread is often used for this. It frequently comes before the nouns gossip and rumour:
I hope you’re not spreading gossip, Alice!
He’d apparently been spreading rumours about her around the school.
‘Spread’ is also used intransitively to describe the way that information quickly becomes known by lots of people: So why does fake news spread so quickly?
The verb circulate is also used in this way: News of her retirement quickly circulated around the office.
Another verb meaning ‘to tell information to a lot of people’ is broadcast. People use it especially about information that they would prefer to be private: I’d rather my news wasn’t broadcast to the entire office!
The more formal verb disseminate is also used, but without the negative meaning: One of the organization’s aims is to disseminate information about the disease.
Other words mean ‘to give secret information’, for example reveal, divulge and (formal) disclose:
He wouldn’t reveal what was written in the letter.
When asked, she refused to divulge her salary.
They made an agreement not to disclose any details.
An informal phrasal verb with this meaning is let on. If you let on, you tell others about something secret: Please don’t let on that I told you she’s leaving!
Another phrasal verb is blurt out. If you blurt out a secret fact, you say it suddenly and without thinking, usually because you’re nervous or excited: I was supposed to be keeping it secret and then I just blurted it out!
There are two nice idioms for giving secret information. If you let the cat out of the bag or spill the beans, you tell people something that should have been secret:
I wasn’t going to tell anyone about my plans but Anita let the cat out of the bag.
So who spilled the beans about Daniel’s promotion?
Be careful what you divulge this week!
Thank you for the article.
I wrote a few papers before and felt ‘show’ and ‘reveal’ were used frequently. I am wondering if the sentences below are awkward in a scientific paper:
The results divulge monkeys are as smart as toddlers.
The results disclose monkeys are as smart as toddlers.
Are they acceptable?
I am afraid they are not, neither divulge nor disclose fit the context.
“Show” and “reveal” are definetely more adequate because the results are a consecuence of studies carried out, and publicizing them (the studies) is making the results generally known.
No, you should not use the words “divulge” or “disclose” for an idea or a concept. These verbs are for showing something that was purposefully hidden before — something that only a person would do. The results of a study do not purposefully hide themselves.
My recommendations for a couple of verbs for results:
The results indicate monkeys ….
The results imply monkeys …..
My recommendations for a couple of verbs for discussions and conclusions:
Based on the result, we can conclude that monkeys …
Based on the results, we can extrapolate that monkeys ….
Hi! Thanks for getting in touch. Yes, I agree with the comments below that these verbs don’t sound quite right here. Both have the sense of giving secret information, which is not the case here. Perhaps, for variety, you could use verbs such as ‘prove’, ‘suggest’ and ‘indicate’? Best wishes!
Thank you, every one, for answering my question.
I will put the suggestions into my notebook.
You don’t know how much appreciate your response.
🙂
Disclose ideally fits the sense here. Divulge alludes undesired behaviour of someone made a secret known to people or somebody else.
Reblogged this on premkumar131's Blog.
Hello,
Thank you for this article. It is very interesting and clear. I am wondering why you don’t talk about “release”. Is it too specifically linked to journalism?
Hi! An interesting question! It’s certainly relevant and if I’d had more space, I might have included it. (It’s always tricky deciding what to cover.) Best wishes!
hi kate, thanks for increasing my communicating skills.
rev. dr. hoover roopan from trinidad
You’re welcome!
Reblogged this on StatsLife.
Compulsive reading, useful learning. Thank you.
Thank you!
Hi Kate,
Thanks for the lesson and you have allowed us to learn by disseminating the formal and informal words about spreading/divulging the information.
If u have a chance, could you do a lesson on how to use “would rather”.
Hi Ravi! Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll certainly bear it in mind. Best wishes.
Kate Woodford.
You will be always remember for your tremendous contribution in perfecting our English language standard.
Thank you for your kind words!
First and foremost, let me begin with a vote of thanks. Iam so thankful for the great work done by this writer.
My heart is now dancing with joy for this kind of writing. I have never seen anything like this before. It’s well explained and enjoyable to read. I read and read and read…. I couldn’t get tied and I had to read it all over again for about 10 times.
I have seen Kate Woodford is your name.
Dear Kate,
I would like to tell you that you are such a great and an inspiring writer that I have ever come a cross! No body told me about this page. I just landed on it by chance as I was checking my mails today. What a luck!
I don’t know how best to keep in touch with so I can be able to get your day to day writing.
If there is a possibility, please let me know. I also would like to know if you present all this kind of writings in form of a video like in a YouTube.
If there is something like that, please do give me a link. My pronunciation is not all that good and so is my writing. I want to make some improvements on both.
I think the best way to work on that and gain the skills I want especially in speaking is through listening as you speak in a video. I want to be a good English speaker. I want to be fluent and natural. I want to be like you. Will you do that for me, please? Thank you.