2
general::
telephone
verbs
a telephone rings
• The telephone rang, but Tom didn’t answer it.
answer the telephone
• When I called the house, Mike answered the telephone.
talk on the telephone
• He was talking on the telephone when the doorbell rang.
use the telephone
• May I use your telephone?
pick up the telephone
• As soon as she got home, she picked up the telephone and dialled his number.
put down the telephone
• Before he could respond, she’d put down the telephone.
call somebody on the telephone
• Her son doesn’t even call her on the telephone.
telephone + NOUN
a telephone call
• She got a telephone call from Joe last night.
a telephone conversation
• We had a long telephone conversation.
a telephone line
• They didn’t even have a telephone line.
COMMON ERRORS
>>> Do not say ' get/have a telephone from somebody '. Say get/have a telephone call from somebody .
transnet.ir
3
general::
noun ADJ. pay, public | office, private The office telephones were all out of order. | cellular, cordless, mobile, portable | radio, satellite VERB + TELEPHONE use Can I use your telephone? | be on Don't pester me now?I'm on the telephone. We're not on the telephone, so you'll have to come round to the house. | answer, get (informal), pick up Hang on?I'll just get the telephone. | hang up, put down She put down the telephone and burst into tears. | leave/take off the hook I've been trying to phone him all day?he must have left his telephone off the hook. | be wanted on The waiter came to tell me I was wanted on the telephone. | call sb to He was called to the telephone just as he was leaving. | bug, tap | connect, install | disconnect TELEPHONE + VERB ring, shrill The telephone was ringing furiously. The telephone shrilled into the silence. | be off the hook TELEPHONE + NOUN number | book, directory | bill | call, message | conversation, enquiry, interview, query, survey | contact She is in telephone contact with headquarters. | helpline, hotline, support The charity has set up a 24-hour telephone helpline. | company | banking, marketing, service | charges | cord, headset, receiver | cable, exchange, line, network, switchboard, system, wire | box, kiosk | voice A good telephone voice can do much to improve the temper of irate callers. PREP. by ~ Can I get in touch by telephone? | on the ~ She sounded very distant on the telephone. | over the ~ I don't want to talk about this over the telephone.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary