call
To call is to refer to someone or something or attempt to contact someone.
- What is this called? (What is the name of this thing?)
- Everyone calls me Paul. (I appreciate people using my first name.)
- I tried calling the office, but there was no answer. (call = use a phone)
The word “call” can be used as a verb or as a noun.
These examples show the word "call" as a verb:
a. call = contact; attempt to reach by voice or by phone
- When I call my dog, she comes to me.
- The customer called to the waiter who came to the table.
- The customer called him to the table.
- You really have to call your mother on Mother’s Day.
- With a mobile phone, you can call anyone at anytime anywhere in the world. That’s amazing!
- Maria called her friend on the phone.
- She calls her friend at least once a week.
- Who usually calls you on your phone?
Whom do you often call?
b. call = use a person’s name; identify a thing or a person
- A: What is this thing called in English? (What is the name of this thing?)
- B: It’s called a stapler.
- A: What do you call a person who cooks for a living?
- B: That person is called a “cook.”
- In American schools, the teacher is called by his or her last name: Mr. Wilson, Ms. Smith, Mr. Lawrence, Miss Harris, etc.
- A: What is he holding in his hands?
- B: It’s called a shovel.
- A: What is his name?
- B: His name is Michael, but everyone calls him by his nickname: Mick.
The thing in his hands is called a shovel.
These examples show how "call" is used as a noun.
c. call = a decision; exercise of judgement
- She made a good call. (She made a good decision.)
- It’s your call. (You may made the decision.)
- The referee’s call hurt the team’s chances of winning the game.
- The CEO of the company made a call last year that cost the company millions of dollars.
- I made a bad call on a stock and lost some money.
In these sentences, “call” is a noun. The verb “make” is often used when “call” is a noun.
- The referee makes calls on the field.
- She tries to make calls that are fair.
- Most of the referee’s calls are good.
- Some calls are bad.
d. call = a request
- The police put out a call for the public’s help in finding a criminal.
- A call for peace was ignored by both warring parties.
- Calls for an end to hostilities were made by international peace organizations.
- Their calls for peace were not listened.
- Countries in Europe called on Russia to end its occupation of Ukraine. (This example uses “call” as a verb.
- A call for international cooperation in solving the problem is having some positive effects.
