Make a call means to phone someone: I need to make a call. The second meaning usually comes with the: make the call means to make a decision, often a difficult or urgent one that you are responsible for. That is where It's your call comes from, meaning “it's your decision”. In this sense the phrase is informal; in an essay, make a decision is safer.
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make a (phone) call (to + person/place); give + person + a call; make the call (= decide)
- Can I borrow your phone? I need to make a quick call to my landlord.
- We have two strong candidates, and the director will make the final call tomorrow.
- I made three calls to the airline before anyone answered.
What changed
First versionI'm busy right now, but I'll make you a call after lunch.
RevisionI'm busy right now, but I'll give you a call after lunch.
Make a call does not take a person straight after make. To say who you are phoning, use give you a call or simply call you. With make, the person comes after to: make a call to the bank.
Make a call means phoning someone yourself; take a call means answering one: Sorry, I have to take this call. So be careful: deciding is make the call, not take the call, which is about answering the phone.
Your turn
The coach had only a few seconds to decide, and he ___ the call to replace the goalkeeper.
Show the answer
made — The coach made a decision, so made the call is needed. Took the call means “answered the phone”, and there is no phone call in the sentence.
Write about a situation where the decision was yours to make. Use make the call and say which options you were choosing between.
My team couldn't agree on a hotel for the conference, so I made the call and chose the one near the station over the cheaper one outside the city.
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