half call

USAGE SUMMARY

The term "half call" is not correct or usable in written English.
It is not a standard part of the English language.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

When I share this with people, half call the practice cheating, and the other half call it genius.

The New York Times - Magazine

Over half call him "a risky choice for the White House".

Huffington Post

Nearly half call for the children to be immediately deported, but a similar number say they should be allowed to stay in California as they await legal proceedings.

Los Angeles Times

If you don't receive notification that your membership was cancelled within a week and a half, call and talk to an employee.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

About half called race a major factor in the government's slow response.

The New York Times

Two-thirds of recall opponents were Democrats and more than half called themselves liberal.

The New York Times

Of those, nearly half called themselves Democrats, one-fifth said they were Republicans and another fifth labeled themselves independent.

The New York Times

Kate, 29, a programming coordinator in New York who has been Jeremy's girlfriend for a year and a half, calls herself "an evangelist for vibrators".

The New York Times

More than a quarter characterized what their school taught in regards to L.G.B.T. patients as "poor" or "very poor," and almost half called their offerings only "fair".

The New York Times

The six plans for the World Trade Center that were unveiled in July all featured lofty office buildings, and half called for structures of 80 stories or more.

The New York Times

In the first half, called "Hour of the Wolf," they lie and accelerate repeated rolls toward and away from each other.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When you want to indicate that approximately 50% of people or items are doing something, use phrases like "nearly half", "about half", or "approximately half". These are grammatically sound and widely accepted.

Common error

Avoid using the phrase "half call". Instead, opt for more standard English constructions such as "about half call" or "nearly half call" to ensure clarity and correctness in your writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "half call" functions as a subject-verb combination where "half" is intended to quantify a group performing an action. However, as indicated by Ludwig AI, the phrasing is not grammatically standard, making it an unusual and potentially confusing construction. The existing examples often add a qualifying term like "about" or "nearly" to improve grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "half call" is not considered standard English and is flagged as incorrect by Ludwig AI. While it appears occasionally in contexts such as News & Media and Wiki sources, its usage is rare and generally informal. For clearer and more grammatically sound writing, it's recommended to use alternatives like "nearly half call", "about half call", or "approximately half call". These alternatives provide the same meaning while adhering to conventional English grammar and style. The limited and inconsistent usage of "half call" suggests that it should be avoided in formal or professional contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Nearly half call

Replaces "half" with "nearly half" for a more precise feel.

About half called

Changes to past tense for consistency with the examples, adds "about" to soften the assertion.

Roughly half call

Replaces "half" with "roughly half" to show an approximation.

Approximately half call

Adds the qualifier "approximately" to indicate an estimate.

Around half call

Replaces "half" with "around half" for approximate measure.

Half of them call

Clarifies that "half" refers to a specific group.

Close to half call

Uses "close to half" for a less precise estimation.

Just under half call

Specifies that the amount is slightly less than half.

A large fraction call

Substitutes "half" with "a large fraction" to suggest a considerable amount.

A sizable portion call

Emphasizes the size of the group making the call, without specifying "half".

FAQs

What's a more appropriate way to say "half call"?

Instead of "half call", use phrases like "nearly half call", "about half call", or "approximately half call" for better clarity and grammatical correctness.

Is "half call" grammatically correct?

No, "half call" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. It's better to use phrases that include qualifiers like "about", "nearly", or "approximately" before "half".

Can I use "half call" in formal writing?

It's advisable to avoid "half call" in formal writing. Opt for more precise and grammatically accepted alternatives such as "nearly half of them call".

What are some alternative phrases to "half call" that sound more natural?

More natural-sounding alternatives to "half call" include "around half call", "close to half call", and "just under half call".