called a while ago

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "called a while ago" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to a phone call or communication that occurred some time in the past. Example: "I just wanted to follow up on the message I left when I called a while ago."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

When we called a while ago and asked to see the electromagnet, the staff at Pupin said that it wasn't much of a tourist attraction, and suggested instead a never used reactor in the engineering building.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

"He called me a while ago and said he wanted to do a show with us".

The New York Times - Arts

"I got a call a while ago about the interest from Hull City and things progressed from there.

BBC

On March 9, James McQueeny, Cherokee's public relations adviser who is the chairman of Winning Strategies and a former colleague of Mr. Fox (known as Jamie), wrote to Mr. Wisler: "The gov's office called a little while ago offering 'beginning of April.' I said that was absolutely unacceptable.

The New York Times

By Robert Mankoff July 8 , 2014I wrote a post a while ago called "The King of All Gadgets," which really should have been called "Slave to Technology".

The New Yorker

There used to be a hypothesis that was very popular a while ago, called the decoupling hypothesis, which said that especially in the BRIC economies and emerging markets more broadly growth could be sustained even in the absence of growth in the developed world.

Forbes

"I got a call from a scientist a while ago" — Isaac Berzin, a researcher at M.I.T. "He said, 'Richard, I have a process where I can put an algae farm next to a power plant.

The New Yorker

It was the same call that I gave a while ago when I discovered the misprint in my new book Collected Poems.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

It was the same call that I gave a while ago when I discovered the misprint in my new book Collected Poems.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Talking to the New Yorker critic Alex Ross a while ago, Mitsuko Uchida called him "the most talented guy I have ever met".

The New Yorker

The Hangouts app got voice calling a little while ago, and also offers SMS integration on Android for sending texts to phone numbers, both of which had been Google Voice features.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "called a while ago" when the exact time of the call isn't important, but the fact that it happened in the past is relevant to the current situation. E.g.: "I'm following up on something that we "called a while ago"".

Common error

Don't use "called a while ago" without providing enough context. If the listener or reader doesn't know what call you're referring to, the statement becomes meaningless. Be specific about the subject of the call or provide additional details.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "called a while ago" functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb, indicating when an action (the calling) occurred. Ludwig indicates that the phrase is correct and usable in written English, which supports its grammatical validity.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

25%

Science

25%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "called a while ago" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression to refer to a past phone call or communication. Ludwig confirms its correctness and usability. While it lacks specificity regarding the exact time, it effectively conveys that the call occurred at an earlier point. It's versatile, fitting well in news reports, business discussions, and casual conversations. For more formal settings, alternatives like "contacted previously" might be suitable. Remember to provide enough context to ensure clarity when using this phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

phoned some time back

Replaces "called" with "phoned" and "a while ago" with "some time back", maintaining the meaning of a past call.

rang up earlier

Substitutes "called" with "rang up" and "a while ago" with "earlier", indicating a call made earlier.

contacted previously

Uses "contacted" instead of "called" and "previously" for "a while ago", suggesting a prior communication.

reached out earlier

Replaces "called" with "reached out", indicating an attempt to make contact in the past.

gave a ring some time ago

Uses the idiom "gave a ring" for "called" and "some time ago" for "a while ago", retaining the sense of a past phone call.

chatted on the phone before

Replaces "called" with "chatted on the phone" and "a while ago" with "before", indicating a prior conversation.

spoke on the phone earlier

Substitutes "called" with "spoke on the phone" and "a while ago" with "earlier", specifying a phone conversation.

had a conversation some time back

Replaces "called" with "had a conversation" and "a while ago" with "some time back", emphasizing a past dialogue.

communicated earlier

Uses "communicated" instead of "called" and "earlier" for "a while ago", indicating a past instance of communication.

made contact some time ago

Replaces "called" with "made contact" and maintains "some time ago", focusing on the act of establishing communication.

FAQs

How can I use "called a while ago" in a sentence?

You can use "called a while ago" to refer to a previous phone call. For example, "I just wanted to follow up on the conversation we had when I "called a while ago"".

What's a more formal way to say "called a while ago"?

For a more formal tone, you could say "contacted previously" or "communicated earlier". These phrases maintain the meaning while sounding more professional.

Is it okay to use "called a while ago" in business communication?

Yes, it's generally acceptable, but ensure the context is clear. If precision is needed, consider specifying the date or time of the call instead of saying "called a while ago".

What can I say instead of "called a while ago" if I want to be more specific?

If you want to be more specific, you could say "called last week", "called on Monday", or "called earlier this morning", depending on when the call took place.