Why we "put down" it's not clear to me

[Ajith Gunathilake]

English Grammar Error, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #18 "Prepositions and Phrasal Verbs", question 10

I would call him down to see you in normal circumstances but he's so tired he's to bed already.

(a) would call
(b) down
(c) to

English Grammar Error, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #18 "Prepositions and Phrasal Verbs", answer 10

I would call him down to see you in normal circumstances but he's so tired he's in bed already.

Correct entry: in
The error was: (c) to
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Hi,

"I would call him down to see you". Could you please explain to me why we put down it's not clear to me.

Ajith Gunathilake

[Alan]

Hi,

This is really a shortened form of: I will call him to come down with the sense of: call him to come downstairs as at the moment he is upstairs in bed.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Conditionals

[Conchita]

'Call him down' in the test sentence means 'call him to come downstairs' (to see you) -- he is upstairs in bed.

[Conchita]

I can't believe it! We must have gone to the same school, Alan.

[planetypus]

So, to "call down" basically means calling somebody upstairs to come down.

And, to "call up" is (to dial somebody?)

Is that correct?
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"If you can't be a pine on top of a hill, be a shrub in the valley."

[Conchita]

To call up is to telephone, among other definitions.

Note that you cannot dial somebody -- to dial is to make a telephone number: can you dial this number for me? To call the police you must dial 999.

[toefl]