Meaning trap
give out
announce
to officially announce or state information.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
to officially announce or state information.
Another meaning of 'give out' is 'distribute'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- The results will be given out at the end of the meeting.communication
- The university gave out the list of successful applicants on their website last Friday.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: give out [information/news]
WrongThe teacher gave out that the test was cancelled.
RightThe teacher announced that the test was cancelled.
'Give out' + a that-clause is unnatural. This sense works with a noun object (information, details, results); for news use 'announce/say'.
Patterngive out [information/news]
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Give out' means broadcast info to a group. 'Disseminate' is bureaucratic and almost never spoken.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
give out + informationinformationdetailsthe resultswarnings
Don't confuse it
'Give out' (announce) is more formal than 'say' or 'tell'.
Related
- give out (distribute) — Another meaning of 'give out' is 'distribute'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.