Call on meaning
Call on means to publicly ask a person or group to do something. It can also mean to ask someone in a class or meeting to speak.
call on somebody or something
call on · called · calling
Parents are calling on the council to build a new crossing.
Call on meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Publicly ask a person or group to do something
call on somebody or something
- Parents are calling on the council to build a new crossing.
- The doctor called on everyone to get their flu jab.
- Why hasn’t anyone called on the company to explain?
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2
Ask someone in a class or meeting to speak
call on somebody
- The teacher always calls on me when I don’t know the answer.
- She raised her hand, but nobody called on her.
- I’ll now call on our guest to say a few words.
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3
Visit someone for a short time
call on somebody
- We called on my aunt on our way home.
- A man from the gas company called on us yesterday.
- Feel free to call on me if you’re ever in Bath.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use call on in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is call on separable?
Call on is not separable. The person goes after on: call on the government, call on her. Then use to + verb for the action: call on people to vote.
In formal writing you will also see call upon: We call upon all members to attend. It means the same. The visit meaning sounds a little old-fashioned.
Verb tenses for call on
| Present | I call on · she calls on |
|---|---|
| Past | called on |
| Present perfect | have called on |
| -ing form | calling on |
Common mistakes with call on
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: They called on the mayor resigning.
Right: They called on the mayor to resign.
Use to + verb after call on someone.
Wrong: The teacher called me on first.
Right: The teacher called on me first.
Call on is not separable.
Wrong: I called on you twice, but your phone was off.
Right: I called you twice, but your phone was off.
For phoning, just say call; call on means visit or ask.
Synonyms and opposites of call on
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- urgestrongly ask someone to do something, more formal
- call forpublicly say that something is needed; the thing comes after
- drop in onvisit someone informally without planning
Opposite
- ignorenot pay attention to someone who wants to speak
- leave alonenot ask someone to do anything
Call on quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1The president ___ young people to vote.
Call on someone to do something means ask them publicly and strongly.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Call on is not separable and is followed by to + verb.
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3“I hope the teacher doesn’t call on me today.” What is the student worried about?
In class, call on someone means ask them to speak.
More phrasal verbs with call
5 phrasal verbs start with call. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Call on FAQ
Questions people ask about call on.
What is the difference between call on and call for?
You call on a person to do something: They called on the police to act. You call for a thing: They called for action.
Is call upon the same as call on?
Yes. Call upon is more formal and is used in speeches and official writing.
What does call on someone mean in school?
It means the teacher chooses a student to answer or speak: Mr Ito called on Ben to read.
Use call on in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.