Phrasal verb
call in
Definition
phrasal verb. to phone your workplace to say you cannot come to work, usually because you are sick.
phrasal verb. to contact one's place of employment by telephone to report an absence; most frequently used in the context of illness or personal emergencies.
Examples
“I need to call in sick today.”
“Three people called in this morning, so we are very short-staffed at the restaurant.”
“The manager requested that employees call in at least two hours before their shift begins if they are unable to attend.”
Examples
simple
“I need to call in sick today.”
contextual
“Three people called in this morning, so we are very short-staffed at the restaurant.”
complex
“The manager requested that employees call in at least two hours before their shift begins if they are unable to attend.”
Usage
often used with the adjective 'sick' or 'well' to specify the reason for the call.
Teaching tip
this is a common workplace idiom; explain that 'call in' is often shorthand for 'call in sick' even if the word 'sick' is omitted in context.
Pitfall
I called in to the office sick.
I called in sick to the office.
the adjective 'sick' usually follows the phrasal verb directly before any prepositional phrases.
Phrasal verb
Particles
in
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
call + in (+ sick)