calls were made

USAGE SUMMARY

"calls were made" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to a series of communications, either verbal (phone calls) or written (letters, emails, etc.). For example: "After the contract negotiations stalled, several calls were made in an effort to restart the process."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"The calls were made.

The New York Times

Quiet calls were made on mobiles.

The New Yorker

More calls were made on mobiles.

The New Yorker

In June, 740 service calls were made.

The New York Times

"All the right calls were made.

The New York Times

(It turns out the calls were made after the accident).

The New York Times

It wasn't clear how many calls were made.

The New York Times

Calls were made and pretty quickly a date was set.

Independent

Phone calls were made and favours called in.

The Economist

About half of the calls were made by women.

The New York Times - Health

The calls were made, but they were premature.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "calls were made" when you want to emphasize that the action of calling has been completed, without necessarily specifying who made the calls.

Common error

Avoid using "calls were made" excessively if the actor is known and relevant. Using the active voice (e.g., "We made the calls") can make your writing more direct and engaging.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "calls were made" functions as a passive construction, indicating that the action of making calls occurred. Ludwig AI confirms it's usable in written English. It is often used when the agent performing the action is unknown, unimportant, or implied.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

37%

News & Media

58%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "calls were made" is a grammatically correct and frequently used passive construction. Ludwig AI indicates its appropriate usage in writing. It’s versatile across various contexts, particularly in News & Media and Science, where it serves to report actions without emphasizing the actor. While acceptable, overuse should be avoided in favor of active voice for clarity. When writing, consider the context and whether identifying who made the calls is important.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

communication was initiated

Focuses on the start of communication, altering the emphasis from the completion of calls.

contact was established

Emphasizes the successful connection rather than the act of calling.

attempts were made to contact

Highlights the effort to reach someone, not necessarily successful calls.

decisions were taken

Shifts the focus to the resulting decisions instead of the preceding communication.

arrangements were finalized

Highlights the completion of arrangements, possibly involving calls.

steps were undertaken

Emphasizes that actions were taken, potentially including calls.

the phone rang

Changes from the passive to active voice, focusing on the phone's action.

appointments were scheduled

Focuses on the scheduling aspect, which could be a result of calls.

notifications were sent

Specifies that notifications were communicated, possibly via calls.

efforts were exerted

Emphasizes the general effort, with calls being a possible component.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "calls were made" to sound more active?

You can use phrases like "Someone called", "We called", or "The team called", depending on who initiated the calls. This shifts the focus to the actor and makes the sentence more direct.

Is it better to use active or passive voice when describing that calls were made?

It depends on the context. Use the passive voice ("calls were made") when the actor is unknown or unimportant. Use the active voice (e.g., "we called") when the actor is known and relevant.

What does "calls were made" imply about the outcome of the calls?

The phrase "calls were made" only indicates that the action of calling occurred. It doesn't specify whether the calls were successful or what the outcome was. Additional context is needed to understand the results of the calls.

When is it appropriate to use "calls were made" in formal writing?

It is appropriate in formal writing when the action is more important than the actor, or when the actor is unknown or irrelevant. For example, "Following the incident, several "calls were made" to emergency services."