Why "to call that person direct" is used?

[Irina]

English Error, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #13 "Telephones", question 5

Each extension is assigned to one person in the organisation which make it possible to call that person direct.

(a) Each
(b) to
(c) make

English Error, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #13 "Telephones", answer 5

Each extension is assigned to one person in the organisation which makes it possible to call that person direct.

Correct entry: makes
The error was: (c) make

You have found the error and your entry is correct.
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Why "to call that person direct" is used? I thought "directly" was right.

Irina

[Yankee]

That's a very good question, Irina!

The word 'direct' can also be used as an adverb (i.e. without the -ly), but I'm afraid I can't give you a rule for when you can use 'direct' instead of 'directly' as an adverb. Maybe one of the others can do this.

One piece of advice I can give you, it might be best to learn this group of words - 'call someone direct' - as an idiom. It means to phone someone without a "middleman", such as a switchboard operator or secretary.

If I said "call someone directly", I would probably understand the meaning of 'directly' to be the same as 'right away' or 'without delay'.

Amy
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English