first of the call

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "first of the call" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to refer to the initial part of a phone call or conference call, but it lacks clarity and context. Example: "During the first of the call, we discussed the agenda for the meeting."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Carrying that phone (her first of the call), she'd gone into the bedroom, picked up its brother from the night table, and said, into this new phone, "Are you there?

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

As it is, two-thirds of the call cost goes to BT and the doctors".

The Guardian

The first portion of the call provides cues to the identity of the caller, and the second part encodes its current activity.

BMC Biology

His sense of humor had been the first casualty of the call, while mine sharpened right up.

The Guardian - Books

Figure 6 Estimated first derivative of the call price functions in strike.

Journal of Inequalities and Applications

As found for other species, frequency modulation contained high individual variation, especially in the first part of the call.

BMC Ecology

Despite being asked clearly for the lowest cost option in each case, in nearly a third of the calls the firms failed to offer their cheapest tariff.

The Guardian - Money

In his three-hour talk-show appearance his possible withdrawal was the subject of more than a third of the calls.

The New York Times

Importantly, in one-fifth of the calls it was the individual experiencing the crisis who contacted the police.

BMC Psychiatry

IWG members directed a third of the calls elsewhere, of which half were referred to consultants or testing laboratories.

Environmental Health Perspectives

In this descriptive analysis of emergency calls concerning patients with stroke, we found that a FAST symptom, that is, facial weakness, arm weakness or speech disturbance, was mentioned first in one-third of the calls.

BMJ Open

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to the start of a phone call, use grammatically correct and clear phrases such as "beginning of the call" or "start of the call" to avoid confusion.

Common error

Avoid using "of" directly after "first" when describing a call's commencement. Instead, opt for clear alternatives like "the beginning of" to ensure grammatical accuracy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "first of the call" attempts to function as a temporal marker, indicating the initial segment of a phone conversation. However, due to its grammatical issues, its intended function is unclear. According to Ludwig, this phrase is not grammatically correct and lacks clarity.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "first of the call" is grammatically incorrect and lacks clarity. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it's better to use alternatives like "beginning of the call" or "start of the call" to ensure accuracy and clear communication. While some instances appear in news media and scientific contexts, its infrequent usage and grammatical awkwardness make it unsuitable for formal or precise communication. Always opt for grammatically sound alternatives to avoid potential misunderstandings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

beginning of the call

Replaces "first of the call" with a grammatically correct and clearer phrase indicating the start of a phone conversation.

start of the call

Similar to "beginning of the call", this alternative offers a straightforward and correct way to reference the initiation of a call.

initial part of the call

Provides a more descriptive and grammatically sound alternative, emphasizing that it's about the early section of the conversation.

early stages of the call

This alternative highlights that the discussion is focused on the commencing moments and developments of the conversation.

opening of the call

This option uses a formal term to describe the first actions during the phone conversation.

first few minutes of the call

Offers a time-bound specification of the call, making the beginning section very precise.

opening moments of the call

Emphasizes the initial instances of the phone conversation, which is more dramatic.

at the inception of the call

A more technical alternative for "first of the call", useful in legal contexts.

inaugural phase of the call

Uses advanced vocabulary, suitable for academic and high-level technical conversations.

preliminary section of the call

This provides a methodical alternative, specifying that something happens in the first part of the call, which can be useful for documentation.

FAQs

What are some alternatives to the phrase "first of the call"?

Better alternatives include "beginning of the call" or "start of the call". These options are grammatically correct and clearer.

Is "first of the call" grammatically correct?

No, the phrase "first of the call" is generally considered grammatically "incorrect". It is better to use "beginning of the call" or "start of the call".

How can I properly refer to the initial part of a telephone conversation?

Use alternatives such as "the beginning of the call", "at the "start of the call"", or "initially in the call" to ensure clarity and grammatical correctness.

What's the difference between "first of the call" and "beginning of the call"?

"Beginning of the call" is grammatically sound and commonly used to refer to the starting point of a conversation. In contrast, "first of the call" is awkward and grammatically "incorrect", making it unsuitable for formal or clear communication.