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I've been struggling with this aspect of the English language and I don't know if there are some rules to it that can help me. I've looked for answers on the internet but so far I haven't found anything that can help me clear my mind on this issue.

I was writing this phrase:

"I called at your offices immediately to report the situation and I was assured that it would be repaired soon"

Is there a rule of when the "immediately goes"?

I could rephrase it into this:

"I immediately called at your offices to report the situation and I was assured that it would be repaired soon"

Or even:

"I called immediately at your offices to report the situation and I was assured that it would be repaired soon" (a grammar tool I have on my computer suggests in this particular phrase to change the at to a "to")

Are any of those interchangeable?

Thanks in advance

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    They're all fine. Don't change at to to. To call at means that you went there yourself. To call implies that you phoned. To call to is not correct. You can call to people (meaning to shout out to) but not to offices.
    – Ronald Sole
    Commented Apr 8, 2018 at 17:31

1 Answer 1

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To "call at" is either nautical, regarding ships, or else perhaps a britishism? Usually we just say call. "Call their office."

I called your offices immediately to report the situation

Ok

I immediately called your offices to report the situation

Ok

I called immediately your offices to report the situation

No

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  • "I called your office" normally means "I telephoned" while "I called at your office" means "I went there". I think this sense of "called at" is more common in the UK, in the US "I visited" or "I went to" would be much more common.
    – David Siegel
    Commented May 28, 2019 at 15:55
  • @DavidSiegel, yes. "I visited" or "went to" or "stopped by", rather than "called at"
    – Sam
    Commented May 28, 2019 at 17:44
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    there is nothing wrong with "called at". I have used it occasionally. It just not as common in US English.
    – David Siegel
    Commented May 28, 2019 at 19:10

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