a call

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   an act of speaking to someone by phone

   Grammar: Countable noun; you can say 'a call', 'the call', or 'calls'.

   Patterns

   • make a call
   • give someone a call
   • a call from someone

   I need to make a quick call to my office.

   She received a call from her mother.

   Give me a call when you arrive.

2. 2nouncountable

   a decision or judgment, especially one made by an official or in a game

   Grammar: Often used in phrases like 'make a call' or 'a tough call'.

   Patterns

   • make a call
   • a tough call
   • a call on something

   It was a difficult call, but we decided to cancel the event.

   The referee made a controversial call.

   The judge's call was final.

3. 3nouncountable

   a loud shout or cry, often to get attention or express emotion

   Grammar: Countable noun; often used with 'of' to show the sound.

   Patterns

   • a call for something
   • a call of something

   We heard a call for help from the river.

   The bird's call woke us early in the morning.

4. 4nouncountableformal

   a short visit, especially to someone's home or office

   Grammar: Countable noun; often in phrases like 'pay a call' or 'a call on someone'.

   Patterns

   • pay a call
   • a call on someone

   The doctor paid a call on the elderly patient.

   We made a brief call on our neighbors.

Word forms

Common combinations

phone call

I missed a phone call from my boss.

make a call

Can you make a call to the restaurant to book a table?

a call for something

There was a call for better safety measures.

a tough call

Deciding which job to take was a tough call.

a call to action

The speech ended with a call to action for volunteers.

Synonyms and how they differ

phone call

More specific; 'call' alone often implies a phone call in context.

decision

A general word for a choice; 'call' is more informal and often used in sports or official contexts.

shout

A loud cry; 'call' can be a shout but also a bird's sound or a request.

Word family

call verb

To phone someone or to give a name.

caller noun

A person who makes a phone call or visits.

calling noun

A strong urge or vocation.

Commonly confused: a call or caul?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “a call”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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