When and how to use these verbs correctly? I believe that even though they sound synonymous, every word has its own proper usage in a sentence.
According to Merriam Webster,
inform– to impart or give information
tell– to make known; to express in words
notify– to give notice of or report the occurrence
Does it mean they are somewhat synonymous and can be used in a sentence interchangeably? For example,
- I already informed/told/notified him about our plans this September.
- Please inform/notify our classmates that we will have a long quiz on our History subject.
- The police notified/told/informed the family that this is not just a mere case of suicide.
Best Answer
They can often be used interchangeably, but tell has a more general and wider meaning and application than inform and notify which means that the latter two can often be replaced by tell but not always vice versa.
Here's an example:
They can be used interchangeably in the above sentences, but have a look at this:
You could say that he informed/notified his grandson of/about the Christmas story, but that would completely change the meaning.
And then there are cases where it is doubtful:
I'm sure you'll notice that in this case notify and inform do not really work. They're not appropriate in this more informal context. Here to tell denotes a more story-telling way of conveying information. I doubt the man would tell his grandson in a formal and subjective way how he met his wife, which is what notify and inform mean.