ENGLISH
REFERENCE

on the phone

prep. phr..
A1 Beginner Oxford

prep. phr.. Means you are busy talking to someone using a telephone.

prep. phr.. A prepositional phrase indicating that a person is currently engaged in a telephone conversation.


SIMPLE

Sorry, my dad is on the phone right now.

CONTEXTUAL

She was on the phone with her sister when the doorbell rang.

COMPLEX

The diplomat remained on the phone for hours, carefully negotiating the sensitive details of the international agreement.

Usage

This phrase usually follows a form of the verb 'to be' to describe someone's state.

Teaching tip

Contrast 'be on the phone' (the state of being busy) with 'talk to someone' (the action); this pattern extends to other devices like 'on the computer' or 'on the internet'.

Pitfall

He is in the phone.He is on the phone.The correct preposition for being engaged with electronic devices like phones or computers is 'on', not 'in'.

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