before we called

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "before we called" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to a time prior to a phone call or communication that took place. Example: "Before we called, we made sure to gather all the necessary information to discuss."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

16 human-written examples

We limped through the first two months of the first semester before we called it quits.

The New York Times

"We waited until the very end before we called each other".

The New York Times

He caught one more sublegal bass on that plug -- I didn't get a single hit -- before we called it quits.

The New York Times - Sports

"Donna," he said, "get me the deed to the house!" Before we called it a night, a little past midnight, we had raised $620 for the school.

The New York Times

Store-bought lettuce was always lush, green and pristine, and thus vastly preferable to lettuce from my Mom's vegetable garden (organic before we called it that).

The New York Times

My mother's death certificate says June 20th because we couldn't let anyone into the house until we were sure that she was irretrievably lifeless, and it was a few hours past midnight before we called a physician to sign the relevant papers.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

44 human-written examples

Since the findings reported here have not been observed before, we call for further studies to elucidate further the relationship between self-esteem and smoking behavior.

BioMed Research International

Why do we need to save stuff on the stack before we call jal?

University of California, Berkeley

"We must be absolutely certain before we call in," Mr. Hafez says.

The New Yorker

But before we call the wahmbulance, let's put this in context.

The Guardian

"We really should rule out these other more dangerous things before we call it benign leg cramps".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "before we called" to clearly indicate actions or states that existed before a phone call or another form of communication took place. This helps to establish a timeline of events for clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "before we called" when you actually mean "after we called". Double-check that the action you are describing truly happened before the communication.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "before we called" functions as an adverbial clause of time, modifying a verb or clause by specifying when an action occurred in relation to a phone call or contact. As seen in Ludwig, it sets a temporal context for events.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

57%

Science

29%

Formal & Business

14%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "before we called" is a grammatically sound and usable phrase. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is typically used to establish a timeline, indicating that an action or state preceded a communication. While alternatives like "prior to our call" offer more formality, "before we called" maintains a neutral tone suitable for various contexts, mainly in news and media as shown in Ludwig. Keep in mind to use it when you want to clarify which action happened before the call.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

prior to our call

Replaces the clause with a prepositional phrase, making it more concise.

earlier than our phone call

Specifies the method of communication as a 'phone call'.

before the time we contacted

Specifies the action more clearly by using the word 'contacted'.

preceding our telephone call

Highly formal; uses 'telephone call' for specification.

ahead of our communication

Uses 'communication' instead of 'call', broadening the context slightly.

previous to us phoning

Replaces "called" with "phoning", offering a more informal tone.

in advance of our reaching out

Formal alternative using "reaching out" instead of "called".

before initiating contact

More formal and emphasizes the start of communication.

prior to getting in touch

A more generic phrase indicating contact initiation.

before our attempt to call

Implies a potential lack of success in the call.

FAQs

How can I use "before we called" in a sentence?

You can use "before we called" to indicate something that happened or was true before a phone conversation. For example, "Before we called, we gathered all the necessary information."

What's a more formal alternative to "before we called"?

A more formal alternative would be "prior to our call" or "preceding our communication". These phrases maintain a professional tone while conveying the same meaning.

Is it always necessary to specify what type of "call" is meant when using "before we called"?

Not always, but it can help to clarify the context. If it's a phone call, you could say "before our phone call". If it was some other type of call, such as for help, ensure the context makes that clear.

What phrases are similar to "before we called"?

Similar phrases include /s/prior+to+our+call, /s/before+we+contacted+them or /s/before+we+reached+out. The best choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.