I thought to tell vs It occured to me to tell

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'I thought to tell' is more commonly used when you are explaining your thought process, while 'It occurred to me to tell' is used when you suddenly realize or remember something. They are not directly comparable as they convey different meanings.

Last updated: March 21, 2024 • 1033 views

This phrase is correct and can be used when explaining your thought process.

"I thought to tell"

This phrase is used to express that you considered telling something or had the idea to tell something.

Examples:

I thought to tell him about the party.
She thought to tell her boss about the issue.
He thought to tell his parents about his decision.

Show examples from the web [+]

I thought to tell him a story, but could think of none that might be interesting to one so very young. A sudden gust of wind intruded itself upon my musings.
I thought he like some other girl of our class...when I was in 12th standard I thought to tell it to him....I only told this to my one friend because I am a type of shy ...
Jun 26, 2010 ... I thought to tell him I do not love raspberries, but blueberries, but he did not attend to the things I loved. His bad days became mine.
Now is not the time, I thought, to tell Owen he didn't make the All-Stars team and that his older brother did. I had gotten the call right before the championship ...

Alternatives:

I considered telling
I planned to tell
I intended to tell
I decided to tell
I wanted to tell

This phrase is correct and is used when you suddenly realize or remember something.

"It occured to me to tell"

This phrase is used to express that an idea or thought came to your mind, often suddenly or unexpectedly.

Examples:

It occurred to me to tell her about the meeting.
It occurred to me to tell him the truth.
It occurred to me to tell them about the change in plans.

Show examples from the web [+]

She was devestated. It occured to me to tell her she should look in the "debris cup" which is supposed to prevent pennies and such from being ...
But on our way home it occured to me to tell you that you have 100% talent to make something"schmackhaft-->taste darn good". My plain rice in the Provence ...

Alternatives:

I suddenly remembered to tell
I realized I needed to tell
I had the idea to tell
I remembered to tell
I was reminded to tell

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I thought to tell vs It occured to me to tell

"I thought to tell"

"It occured to me to tell"

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