Meaning & use
calls
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“calls” is a form of “call”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
Plural of 'call': instances of using a phone to speak to someone, or loud shouts.
Grammar: Plural noun; the singular is 'call'. Use with plural verbs: 'The calls were missed.'
Patterns
- make calls
- receive calls
- phone calls
She made several calls to her family from the airport.
The doctor's office receives many calls in the morning.
His loud calls for help were heard by a neighbor.
verbtransitive or intransitive
Third-person singular of 'call': to phone someone, to name someone or something, or to shout.
Grammar: Used with he, she, or it: 'She calls her mother every day.' For other subjects, use 'call'.
Patterns
- calls someone
- calls someone something
- calls for something
He calls his dog Max.
She calls her grandmother every Sunday.
The bird calls loudly at dawn.
Common combinations
- phone calls
- I need to make a few phone calls before lunch.
- calls for
- The situation calls for immediate action.
- missed calls
- I have three missed calls from my brother.
- calls back
- She always calls back within an hour.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rings
- British English often uses 'rings' for phone calls; 'calls' is more common in American English.
Word family
Commonly confused: calls or calls?
calls vs calls
Not to be confused with 'caws' (the sound a crow makes) or 'culls' (to select or kill animals).
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
With 'he', the verb must be third-person singular: 'calls'. 'Call' is for I/you/we/they. 'Calling' needs an auxiliary like 'is calling'. 'Called' is past tense, but the sentence describes a habit, so present tense is better.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “calls”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.