Practice
Phrasal verbs with call: meanings and examples
Your manager says, "I will call you back after lunch." Here, call back means phone again later. The word back changes the simple verb call into a different phrase.
Choose a phrasal verb with call by matching the particle to the meaning the sentence needs.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
call off /kɔl ɔf/
The short answer
Choose the particle by meaning. Use call back for a return phone call, call for when something is needed, call off to cancel, call on to ask a person to speak, and call out to speak loudly or get attention.
The customer service team called back before the store closed.
Why it works: Called back means that the team made another phone call.
5 more examples
-
I will call you back when I finish this report.
Call back means phone again after an earlier call or message.
Not this:I will
call youwhen I finish this report. What changes: Without back, the sentence only says that a phone call will happen. -
This job calls for careful attention to detail.
Calls for means requires something.
Not this:This job
usesa checklist for careful attention to detail. What changes: Uses describes a tool or method. It does not mean that the job requires a quality. -
The club called off the picnic because the park was closed.
Called off means canceled a planned activity.
Not this:The club
movedthe picnic to a different park. What changes: Moved changes the location. It does not say that the picnic was canceled. -
The instructor called on Luis to explain his answer.
Called on means asked one person to speak or answer.
Not this:The instructor
spokewith Luis after class. What changes: Spoke with Luis describes a conversation, not a request for an answer. -
A cyclist called out to warn people near the gate.
Called out means spoke loudly so that other people would hear.
Not this:A cyclist
calledthe front desk from the gate. What changes: Called names a phone call. It does not describe a loud warning.
Read the full guide
First, decide what is happening in the sentence. Is someone returning a phone call? Is an event being canceled? Is a teacher choosing a student to answer? The object and situation usually make the meaning clear. Learn each phrase as a group of words, because call does not keep the same meaning with every particle.
Read call and its particle together
The particle is part of the meaning. Call back, call off, and call on all begin with call, but they describe different actions. Use the words around the phrase to decide which action the speaker means.
Amir called back after he checked the appointment time.
Called back means that Amir phoned again.
Does call back mean phone again or cancel?
It means phone again. The phrase refers to another call after an earlier contact.
Use call back for another phone call
Use call back when a person phones someone again. The object can come before or after back when it is a noun. Put a pronoun between call and back.
Please call the dentist back before noon.
The dentist is the person who will receive the return call.
Choose the natural sentence: Please call back her, or Please call her back?
Use Please call her back. A pronoun goes between the verb and particle.
Use call for when something is needed
Call for can mean need or require. A plan can call for more time. A problem can call for a careful response. This use is about what a situation needs, not about making a telephone call.
The long trip calls for a full tank of fuel.
The trip requires a full tank of fuel.
Complete the sentence: A wet floor ___ a warning sign.
Use calls for: A wet floor calls for a warning sign.
Use call off and call on in planned situations
Call off means cancel something that was planned. Call on means ask a person to speak or answer in a class or meeting. Check whether the sentence is about ending an event or choosing a speaker.
The chair called on Priya after the first speaker finished.
Called on means that the chair asked Priya to speak.
Complete the sentence: The storm forced us to ___ the game.
Use call off: The storm forced us to call off the game.
Use call out to make people hear you
Call out means speak loudly to get attention or give a warning. The person may call out a name, a message, or a warning. It is different from calling a person on the phone.
The guide called out when the group started to walk the wrong way.
The guide spoke loudly so that the group could hear the warning.
Does call out describe a quiet message or a loud voice?
It describes a loud voice used to get attention.
Before you go
Remember this
Read call with its particle. Call back means phone again. Call for means require. Call off means cancel. Call on means ask a person to speak. Call out means speak loudly to get attention. With a pronoun and a separable phrase, use call her back or call it off.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Phrasal verbs with call: meanings and examples"
What does call back mean?
Call back means phone a person again, usually after an earlier call or message. You can say I will call you back later. With a pronoun such as you or her, put the pronoun between call and back.
I will call you back when I finish this report.
How do I use call for?
Use call for when a situation needs or requires something. A difficult task can call for patience, and a safety problem can call for quick action. In this use, the phrase does not mean making a telephone call.
I will call you when I finish this report.
What is the difference between call off and call out?
Call off means cancel a planned event, meeting, or activity. Call out means speak loudly to get attention or give a warning. The first phrase stops an event. The second describes how someone speaks.
This job calls for careful attention to detail.
What does call on mean in a class?
In a class, call on means ask a student to speak or answer a question. A teacher may call on a student who has raised a hand. The phrase can also mean visit someone in another setting.
This job uses a checklist for careful attention to detail.
Can call up mean phone someone?
Yes. Call up can mean phone someone, especially in informal speech. You can say I called up my cousin last night. Call back is different because it means phone again after earlier contact.
The club called off the picnic because the park was closed.