call back — ask someone to return
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutraloccasional
to ask someone to come back to a place, often because they are needed again.
Say it like a native
Textbook The studio requested that I return for a second audition.
Native The studio called me back for a second audition.
'Call back' is the natural verb for asking someone to return (to work, to an audition); 'requested that I return' is formal.
Pattern: call (someone) back
In use
- The manager called back the team to finish the project after a sudden change in plans.work
- Sometimes, companies call back former employees if they have valuable experience or specific skills.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ The studio called back me for a second audition.
✓ The studio called me back for a second audition.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'call me back'.
Common collocations
call someone back— the workers, for an audition, in, later
Don't confuse it
Different from 'call back' meaning to return a phone call; here, it means to ask someone to physically return.
Related
- call back (return a phone call) — Another meaning of 'call back' is 'return a phone call'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.