called us and asked

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "called us and asked" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when describing a situation where someone made a phone call to inquire about something or request information. Example: "Yesterday, she called us and asked if we could provide an update on the project status."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

It wouldn't have changed anything if they'd called us and asked for permission to talk to the manager.

The Guardian - Sport

"So they called us and asked us if we wanted to be apple farmers," recalls Karen, one of the Schmitts' five children.

The New York Times - Magazine

Google's TV team actually called us and asked us about our opinions regarding Google TV and, in some small way, we hope that we did a bit of good in the world.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

"It's basically to get you to call us and ask us".

The New York Times

They are calling us and asking why aren't we sending them more business".

The New York Times

And when communities call us, and ask, and say, hey, I want a Shake Shack which in the last three days I've gotten calls from Hong Kong, Manila.

Cornell University

"A client can feel comfortable calling us and asking us to do lots of things," he said.

The New York Times

"By the third year, in 1995," said Mr. Toland, "people began calling us and asking to be on our program".

The New York Times

"To announce that we're no longer Zimmerman's attorneys," one of them responded, "so you don't have to keep calling us and asking for interviews".

The New Yorker

"People are always calling us and asking when Music America will be," said Blanche Walker, executive director of College Careers Fund of Westchester in White Plains, which helps minority youth attend college.

The New York Times

Now, if there is a new homeless person in the area, other homeless people call us and ask us to come and save the person before it's too late".

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

To create a more engaging narrative, follow up the phrase "called us and asked" with specific details about the question or request made, enhancing reader interest.

Common error

Avoid using "called us and asked" when the identity of "us" is unclear to the reader. Always ensure the pronoun reference is explicitly defined or easily inferable from the surrounding text.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "called us and asked" functions as a narrative device to introduce a question or request. Ludwig confirms its usability in describing a situation where someone contacted a group to inquire about something. It sets the stage for conveying specific details of the interaction.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Academia

15%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Science

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "called us and asked" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to describe an act of someone contacting a group to inquire about something. According to Ludwig, the phrase is usable in written English and the examples mostly come from "News & Media" sources. While appropriate in many contexts, consider using more formal alternatives such as "contacted us to inquire" for professional or academic settings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

phoned us and inquired

Replaces "called" with "phoned" and "asked" with "inquired", maintaining a similar level of formality.

gave us a call to ask

More conversational, replacing "called" with "gave us a call".

contacted us to inquire

Uses a more formal tone by replacing "called" with "contacted" and "asked" with "inquire".

got in contact with us to inquire

Similar to "reached out", but slightly more formal.

reached out to us asking

Replaces "called" with "reached out to", offering a slightly less direct tone.

made a call to us inquiring about

Formal and emphasizes the action of calling with a specific purpose.

got in touch with us to ask

Emphasizes the act of making contact before asking, broadening the context slightly.

communicated with us to inquire

Very formal, suitable for professional contexts.

rang us and wanted to know

Uses "rang" as a synonym for "called" and "wanted to know" instead of "asked".

approached us with a question

Focuses on the act of approaching rather than the method of communication.

FAQs

What can I say instead of "called us and asked"?

You can use alternatives like "contacted us to inquire", "phoned us and inquired", or "reached out to us asking" depending on the context.

Is "called us and asked" grammatically correct?

Yes, "called us and asked" is grammatically correct. It follows standard English sentence structure and is widely used in both formal and informal contexts.

How can I make the phrase "called us and asked" more specific?

To be more specific, add details about the subject of the inquiry. For example, "They called us and asked about the project timeline" provides more context.

What's the difference between "called us and asked" and "contacted us to inquire"?

"Called us and asked" is more informal, while "contacted us to inquire" is more formal. Use "called us and asked" in casual settings and "contacted us to inquire" in professional or academic contexts.