call in — request help
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutraloccasional
to ask someone, especially a professional or expert, to come and help with a problem or situation.
Say it like a native
Textbook The hospital summoned a specialist to assess the patient.
Native They called in a specialist to assess the patient.
'Call in' is the natural verb for bringing in professional help; 'summoned' is formal.
Pattern: call in (someone)
In use
- We had to call in a plumber when the pipe burst in the kitchen.work
- When there’s a serious issue at work, it’s common to call in an expert to handle the situation.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ They called in for the police.
✓ They called in the police. / They called the police in.
'Call in' takes the object directly here — no 'for'.
Common collocations
call in + professional— the police, an expert, the army, a plumber
Don't confuse it
'Call in' here is about asking for help in person, not just contacting someone by phone.
Related
- call in (visit briefly) — Another meaning of 'call in' is 'visit briefly'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.