ENGLISH
REFERENCE

in some cases

prep. phr..
A2 Elementary Oxford

prep. phr.. you use this to say that something is true for some people or situations, but not for all of them.

prep. phr.. a qualifying phrase used to indicate that the following statement applies to a subset of instances rather than being a universal rule.


SIMPLE

In some cases, the medicine can cause a headache.

CONTEXTUAL

Most students pass the exam easily, but in some cases, extra help is needed.

COMPLEX

While the policy generally improves efficiency, in some cases it has led to significant delays in processing international applications.

Usage

usually placed at the beginning of a sentence or clause to set the scope of the statement.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'in most cases' or 'in all cases' to show how the speaker is limiting the frequency or certainty of their claim.

Pitfall

in some casein some casesthe word 'cases' must be plural because it refers to multiple possible instances.

© 2026 English Reference