B1 ยท 1-minute English lesson
The rule, three real examples and a quick check, in one minute.
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Call off means decide that a planned event will not happen, stop an activity that is already underway, or command an aggressive animal or person to stop attacking.
Example 1 of 3
The department had to call off the seminar because the guest speaker missed her flight.
The organizers canceled a planned academic event.
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Example 2 of 3
The captain called off the boat tour after thirty minutes when the fog became dangerous.
An activity that had already started was halted for safety reasons.
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Example 3 of 3
We wanted to hold the workshop outdoors, but heavy rain forced us to call it off.
The pronoun it sits between called and off to refer back to the workshop.
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A called-off event is canceled, not simply delayed. Postponing an event means shifting it to a later planned time.
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