gave a call

USAGE SUMMARY

"gave a call" is a perfectly acceptable phrase in written English.
It typically means to make a phone call, but it can also be used to mean to visit someone or to demand action. Example sentence: After not hearing from her for months, he finally gave a call just to check in on her.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

Chris Rock gave a call to Jon Stewart congratulating him on hosting the Oscars, and in addition to handing off the flaming baton – play it safe and be tagged as a sellout, play it funny and be branded as a maniac – he told him he should call Billy Crystal.

The New York Times

So I gave a call to Allan Peterkin, author of 1000 Beards: A Cultural History of Beards, to learn more about the history of beard meaning.

Vice

"Honestly her team gave a call and inquired about what we might be thinking about and it led to many conversations about what would she want to do and how would we want to shape it creatively," he said.

Los Angeles Times

To illustrate a couple of examples, when Gandhi gave a call to boycott British clothes and the use of Khadi, it was placed as a part of the agenda of the freedom struggle against the British.

Huffington Post

This latter algorithm was a statistical comparison of the variation among the several probe sets for each gene compared to the noise level and gave a call for each gene as Present, Marginal, or Absent.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Dideoxy sequencing was performed for 296,296 of the bases and comparison of this data with array calls gave a call accuracy of 99.23% with nearly 180 false positives per array.

BMC Biotechnology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

"Give a call to Newt Gingrich.

The New York Times

The UN had given a call that by 2010 they would address 100 million.

Forbes

Give a call whenever you have a sec".

Huffington Post

The magical deer gives a call of help in Rama's voice.

Wikipedia

Give a call to action.

WikiHow

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "gave a call" to indicate a specific instance of initiating communication, especially when emphasizing the action of making contact rather than just having a conversation. For example: "After the incident, he gave a call to the authorities."

Common error

Avoid overuse of "gave a call" in formal writing. Simpler alternatives like "called" or "phoned" can often be more direct and professional, particularly in business or academic contexts.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "gave a call" functions as a verb phrase indicating the action of initiating a phone conversation. As Ludwig AI suggests, it's a perfectly acceptable phrase. Examples show it used in various contexts to describe contacting someone.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "gave a call" is a grammatically sound verb phrase used to describe the act of making a phone call. Ludwig AI confirms its acceptability, although it's worth noting it leans towards the informal side. As Ludwig's examples show, it appears in various contexts, predominantly in News & Media. While "gave a call" is perfectly understandable, simpler and more formal alternatives like "called", "phoned", or "contacted" may be more appropriate in formal writing. Remember to use "gave a call" when you specifically want to emphasize the action of initiating contact. Steer clear of overuse, opting for simpler terms when clarity and conciseness are paramount.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

called

A simple and direct alternative.

phoned

This is a more concise and direct alternative, implying a phone call was made.

made a call

This is a more formal and neutral alternative.

telephoned

A more formal way to say 'called'.

rang up

This alternative is more informal and colloquial.

gave a ring

Similar to "rang up" but can also be used when physically ringing a doorbell.

dialed

Implies using a telephone to make a call.

reached out

Implies making contact, not necessarily by phone.

contacted

This is a broader term that includes various means of communication.

got in touch with

Similar to 'reached out' but can imply a more personal connection.

FAQs

What's a simpler way to say "gave a call"?

You can often replace "gave a call" with the simpler verb "called" without changing the meaning of the sentence.

Is "gave a call" formal or informal?

While grammatically correct, "gave a call" leans towards the informal side. In professional or academic writing, consider using "contacted" or "phoned" for a more formal tone.

How can I use "gave a call" in a sentence?

"Gave a call" is used to describe the act of initiating a phone conversation. For example: "She gave a call to her mother to share the good news."

What's the difference between "gave a call" and "made a call"?

The phrases are very similar. "Made a call" might be slightly more formal, but both are generally interchangeable.