Notice the following uses of the word ‘tell’ in the text.
1. Her fingers were busy telling the beads of her rosary.
2. I would tell her English words and little things of Western science and learning.
3. At her age one could never tell.
4. She told us that her end was near.

Question

Have you known someone like the author’s grandmother? Do you feel the same sense of loss with regard to someone whom you have loved and lost?

Answer 1

1. Her fingers were busy telling the beads of her rosary.

Meaning of “telling” here: Counting one by one. “To tell the beads” means to move and count each bead while praying.

2. I would tell her English words and little things of Western science and learning.

Meaning of “tell” here: To say or explain something to someone; to teach or inform by speaking.

3. At her age one could never tell.

Meaning of “tell” here: To know or be sure. The phrase “one could never tell” means “it is impossible to say for certain”.

4. She told us that her end was near.

Meaning of “told” here: To inform or announce in words; to say something directly to someone.

Solution and Explanation