Choose the option that best expresses the meaning of the phrasal verb "Call on" as used in everyday English.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Pay a visit

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This vocabulary question tests your understanding of the phrasal verb call on. Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb and a particle or preposition that together create a new meaning, which is often not obvious from the individual words. Here, you must select the meaning that matches common usage of call on in social and formal contexts.


Given Data / Assumptions:
We have the phrasal verb:

  • Call on

The options are:

  • Telephone
  • Seek help
  • Pay a visit
  • Order

We focus on the common meaning used in general English.


Concept / Approach:
Call on can have a few meanings depending on context, but one common sense is to visit someone, especially in a polite or formal way, for example to call on a neighbour or to call on a client. In classroom contexts, it can also mean to ask someone to speak. Among the given options, the meaning pay a visit best reflects this social or formal usage. The other options either relate to a different verb (to call meaning phone) or a different idiom.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall typical sentences: I will call on you this evening or The doctor called on the patient in the hospital. Step 2: Understand that in such examples, call on means to visit face to face, not to phone. Step 3: Examine Telephone. This matches the simpler verb call (to call someone), but call on specifically suggests visiting, not telephoning. Step 4: Examine Seek help. While call on can sometimes mean to request help, that is usually expressed in extended phrases like call on someone for support, and is not the primary social meaning tested in such questions. Step 5: Examine Pay a visit. This exactly captures the idea of going to see someone, which is the most widely tested meaning of call on in exam questions. Step 6: Examine Order. This refers to giving commands and does not align with the phrasal verb call on in standard usage. Step 7: Therefore, Pay a visit is the correct answer.


Verification / Alternative check:
Replace call on with pay a visit in a typical sentence: The manager will call on the new client tomorrow becomes The manager will pay a visit to the new client tomorrow, which preserves the meaning. If we replace it with telephone, the sense of a personal visit disappears. Exam patterns in English papers usually treat call on as equivalent to pay a visit, especially in idiom based questions.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Telephone is wrong because that meaning usually appears without on, for example, I will call you, not I will call on you, when we talk about phoning. Seek help is not the standard direct meaning, although extended phrases can exist. Order is wrong because it belongs to a different verb phrase, such as call to order or call out orders, and does not reflect the meaning of call on. Hence only pay a visit is appropriate here.


Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes confuse call, call up, call for, and call on, all of which have different meanings. It is easy to choose telephone because we often say I will call you, meaning I will phone you. However, adding on in call on changes the meaning to visiting in person. The best way to avoid confusion is to learn phrasal verbs with example sentences rather than translating individual words.


Final Answer:
The phrasal verb call on most commonly means Pay a visit.

Discussion & Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Join Discussion